Contingency
by Aella Meiako
Summary: Gray stone had become a wet canvas for crimson blood. Mikasa couldn't believe her eyes. No, this was not supposed to happen! Eren was going to be humanity's hope! Yet that hope was crushed and bloodied beneath her gaze. The Contingency Plan was now in effect.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: **

Mikasa's muscles ached. She set down the little girl in the street. The poor thing was sobbing and Mikasa didn't blame her. All around them, the carnage of Annie Leonhart's rampage was scattered, coloring the stones crimson. The girl sobbed and slowly wandered off. Mikasa let her go, she had more important things to worry about, besides the girl was wandering off in the other direction.

Using her 3DMG, she zipped through the buildings. Eren and Annie were still fighting by the wall. Annie threw a powerful kick into Eren's face and immobilized him. Mikasa's blood boiled. Annie ran for the wall, her footsteps resounding like a earthquake.

"_Not this time." _Mikasa thought grimly. She raced through the buildings with blinding speed.

With a swift turn she sliced Annie's fingers off. Time stood still. Annie's eyes widened in fear.

"Fall, Annie." Mikasa whispered.

The female titan hit the ground. Mikasa felt the aftershock all the way up the wall. Eren ran and ripped the back of the female's neck open. Mikasa couldn't really tell what happened next. Eren came out of his titan form, assisted by someone. Mikasa guessed it was Armin. Something shone far below, but Mikasa couldn't get a good look at it.

It exploded, sending crystal shards flying like bullets into everyone else. The sound was like a cannon.

Mikasa gasped and hurried down the wall. Blood was everywhere. She went to Eren first. He was dead. There was no doubt.

_"No…. it wasn't supposed to be like this. No, this cannot be!" _

Rage and denial built in Mikasa. She whirled to face the traitor, the titan shifter. She never got there. Some hard and metal crashed onto her head. She caught sight of her attacker.

"_Corporal Levi..?" _

Her vision faded.

~0~

Levi watched the steady rise and fall of Mikasa's chest. There were various restraints on her bed. They had been attached to ensure that she didn't go off on a bloody rampage. No one knew what state she'd be in. As Eren's only commanding officer who wasn't under arrest, he was obligated to tell her.

Eren was officially dead.

Annie Leonhart was currently under custody. Two days had passed since the Stohess Incident, as everyone now called it. Mikasa hadn't so much as moved of her volition since. Levi was beginning to wonder if he'd hit her too hard. Or maybe it was the trauma of the day before the battle. Levi still didn't know how to tell her. He never really did with anyone.

Mikasa stirred. Levi sighed with relief. He'd been sitting there for nearly four hours. She opened her eyes and glanced around. She seemed puzzled. Mikasa pulled lightly on the restraints. Her charcoal eyes fell on Levi.

"Corporal? What happened?" Mikasa whispered. Her head ached and her body was stiff from being confined for 48 hours.

Levi sighed. "What do you remember?" Mikasa's face hardened.

"Annie did something. Blast it all, I was up on the stupid wall. I didn't see." Raw emotion had crept into her voice. Levi realized that she didn't know what had happened.

"Where is Eren?" Levi knew the question was coming, but the hopeful, fearful look on Mikasa's face made it hurt. He swallowed.

"Eren died in action." He waited for a response. He expected tears, yelling, pulling on the restraints, Mikasa demanding to see Eren, asking him why he was screwing around with her. Or maybe just shellshock. Something. He certainly hadn't expected her to laugh. It was a bitter and resentful laugh.

"The world is cruel." She sighed. "I guess Eren lost, after all." She stared at the ceiling, expecting to feel something. Anything. There was nothing but the cold acceptance. It was like Trost, she felt lost. Mikasa was a very purpose-driven person. Take that purpose away and she has nothing to keep her going. It was why she almost surrendered at Trost. Now all she felt was that same cold emptiness.

Levi had been watching intently. He didn't know Mikasa well, he barely knew her at all. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"Ackermann, we've been summoned to the King. As soon as you woke up." He hated having to force her back to duty. Mikasa simply nodded. Levi untied the restraints. Mikasa moved slowly.

"They brought you a fresh uniform." He gestured to the neatly folded pile near the bed. He walked out leaving Mikasa to her own thoughts. She still felt like there was a cold stone where her heart used to. A few tears rolled down her face. She changed and joined Levi in the corridor.

~0~

"Welcome. There have been many rumors about you two, you know. Mikasa Ackermann, The Woman Worth 100 Soldiers. Corporal Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier." The king laughed. His face gradually hardened. Mikasa and Levi stood to attention. The king sat at his gilded table.

"We anticipated that Jaeger would fail. We knew, from the start that is was a hopeless measure."

Mikasa and Levi's blood boiled. Their comrades had died for that plan.

"So we decided on a contingency. Every Plan A requires a Plan B, after all." He smiled coldly.

"So I and some of my advisors and commander Pixis decided to do some research on the extraordinary cadets who survived the Battle of Trost. From there, we decided on this course;" He paused.

"Corporal Levi Rivaille and Recon Scout Mikasa Ackermann will head an elite force designed to retake Wall Maria. You will both be promoted to Commander. The Recon Corps are being abolished. You will replace them. You will be provided with a training garrison that will double as headquarters. You have the authority to recruit whoever you see fit, be they from the former Recon Corps, Garrison, Military Police, or any cadets you think deserve to be accepted." He gestured to some envelopes.

"The instructions are more detailed here. You do understand?"

Mikasa and Levi nodded. Both were stunned and saddened.

"Then welcome, Commanders Ackermann and Rivaille. You are dismissed." He handed them the envelope and they left. Once outside, Mikasa opened the envelope with shaking hands and looked at where they were supposed to be. How ironic, her old training garrison. She saw an alternate name too. Levi looked over her shoulder.

"We're using that one." He said, pointing to the second name.

"Why?" Mikasa questioned.

"It's better fortified. And it's in Wall Maria. Away from MP or governmental scum. We're heading there now." Mikasa sighed. They were equals now, but Levi still acted like she was his subordinate.

"Commander," Mikasa started.

"It's Levi." He snapped. Mikasa realized his growing anger over the issue. She knew to tread carefully.

"Levi, we can't just head there without preparations." She paused. "We should do some recruiting too."

"And who would we recruit?" His eyes glinted and Mikasa remembered that his entire squad died three days ago.

"I have some in mind."

"Then recruit them. I'll meet you at HQ." HE snapped and walked away.

~0~

_Rap. Rap. Rap._

Mikasa quietly knocked on Hanji's door. Finding where everyone was had turned out to be not as hard as she'd thought. All she had to do was ask at the Garrison.

The door opened and a very tired Hanji peered out.

"Ackermann? What the heck?" She said.

"I have a lot to tell you." Mikasa stated. Hanji gave a once over and opened the door wider. Mikasa sat on one end of the table, Hanji slouched on the other.

"Commander Levi and I were summoned to the King today." Hanji raised her eyebrows at the use of commander. "The Recon Corps are being abolished." Hanji gasped. "The government never expected Eren to succeed. They formed a contingency plan. They have appointed myself and Levi as joint commanders of a new elite force, designed to retake Wall Maria." Hanji scoffed. Humans? Retake the wall? Please.

"I'd like you to join our force." Hanji stared. Mikasa's face remained resolute.

"Fine. But where's Erwin in all this?" She questioned.

"The king didn't tell us." Mikasa replied. Hanji sighed.

"Meet at the old Headquarters of the Recons in two days at dawn." Mikasa stood to leave. "Thank you, Hanji." Hanji waved it away.

Mikasa made several other offers that day. Sasha Braus accepted when Mikasa told her she could hunt as much as she wanted. Connie Springer was shocked, but accepted when he heard Sasha was going. Jean decided to stay with the Military Police. He had met Marlo, and the two of them were determined to reform the corrupt force. Armin had died with Eren and Mikasa wished he were alive. His strategic genius would have been invaluable.

It was dark when Mikasa rode into the HQ. She put her horse in the stables and went in through a side door. There was a light in the kitchen. She went in. Levi was already at the table, eating some bread.

"The bread is stale." He deadpanned.

Mikasa sighed.

"You should eat something else, then."

Levi laughed bitterly. "I haven't the motivation to cook." Mikasa had started getting a pot out and she poured some chicken broth into the pot, followed by potatoes and meat. For good measure, she threw in some rice. The result was thick and hearty. Levi hadn't finished his stale bread since she'd started. Mikasa placed a steaming bowl in front of him. He reluctantly stuck his spoon in. Broth pooled against it. Mikasa had already ripped her bread and was dipping the chunks into the soup and savoring them, soft and moist. The soup wasn't spectacular by any means, but it was more filling than most meals. Levi almost licked his bowl cleaned. Going back for seconds, he found that Mikasa had separated the soup perfectly into two large servings. She took his bowl and started washing. Levi dried for her. The whole evening seemed to pass in silence. Finally, Levi broke it.

"We should look at the instructions." Mikasa nodded. They went back to the table and opened the envelope.

There was a lot bureaucratic trash in it, but the main purpose was as the king had told them: build an elite force and retake Wall Maria. Details like how the breach would be sealed were included. It was a two-pronged plan; one half of the force would defend the breach from incoming titans, while the other protected the workmen who would seal the breach. Levi and Mikasa both knew it was a risky plan, but the necessity of retaking Maria was absolute.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Mikasa was back on the wall. She peered into the breach and stared at the face of the Colossal Titan. It wasn't the same titan that had broken the Wall Maria years ago, but it was the same type.

_What the..?!_

The titan opened its eye and stared at her. The whole wall shook as it broke free of it prison. The wall Mikasa had attached her 3DMG to had come loose. She was falling just as Annie had, amidst the debris of the shattered wall. Suddenly, she was fine. She'd landed on something.

It was the titan's hand. Mikasa tried to jump out. The titan wrapped it's monstrous fingers around her. Her gear was crushed. The titan was slowly crushing her along with it…

"Ackermann!"

The yell jolted Mikasa out of her dream. Still bleary and confused by the dream, she grabbed a glass from the nightstand above her. She flung it at her attacker. He slapped her.

"Ackermann, wake up!"

Mikasa blinked and rubbed the sleepy daze from her eyes and realized she'd just broken a glass over Levi's head and that she was on the floor. She got up and sat on the bed, rubbing her forehead.

"What are you doing in here? This is my room." She demanded. Levi glared at her in the semidarkness.

"I heard a crash. Presumably, that was you falling off your bed. You were having a nightmare, weren't you?" he said.

"Yeah, it was crazy. There was a titan in Wall Sina. But that couldn't happen in reality. Just a dream." Mikasa said. Levi gave her a long , hard look.

"Ackermann, exactly what do you remember from when you cut Leonhart's fingers off? After, I mean." He questioned.

"Barely anything. Just.. a lot of blurry images." Mikasa replied. Levi swallowed hard.

"A Colossal Titan was found inside of Wall Sina. It's face was uncovered. Apparently, the Wallists know something. **(A/N That's actual canon in the manga.) **Hanji was investigating, but was forced away by the government. You must have forgotten after I knocked you out." Levi stated. Mikasa stared. She knew Levi wouldn't lie about something this important.

"But I don't remember."

"It's not uncommon for those with severe concussions to have some small amount of amnesia. I hit you pretty hard."

"Yeah, why did you hit me?" Mikasa asked irritably. Levi rolled his eyes.

"Because you were about to go on a crazy rampage. We need Leonhart alive." He stated. Mikasa understood his reasoning. Anger began to build in her chest.

"Wait, she's alive!? Why has no one killed after everything she's done." Mikasa's hands clenched into trembling fists.

"She's still in a coma. We need to gain information from her. She probably knows everything about how titan shifting works and who the Colossal and Armored Titans are. We'll be able to eliminate threats before they even know we're there. Titan shifters are almost indestructible in their titan form, but as humans, they are just as vulnerable as the rest of us." Levi said. Mikasa digested this. Of course it didn't make up for Eren or anybody else's deaths, but it provided a reason as to why Annie wasn't dead.

"You should get some sleep, Ackermann." Levi said as he rose to leave.

~0~

Breakfast was a minor affair of oatmeal without any sweetening. Levi and Mikasa decided to take an inventory of all their supplies before the others got there. The food was satisfactory, especially given the fact that Sasha would bring in some more food via hunting. They went down to the gas tanks room and checked to amounts in each one.

"We need to store these some else." Mikasa stated.

"Why and where would we put them?" Levi asked.

"In Trost, several titans got into the gas room. We managed to defeat them, barely. Putting them higher up would eliminate the possibility. Maybe in one of the towers?" Mikasa explained. Levi considered this.

"We should do that later, when we have more recruits-" They both froze. Resounding footsteps echoed.

"Grab your gear, there's one outside." Levi whispered. The gear was stored with the gas, so they just grabbed some and strapped it one and filled it with gas. Running up the stairs, they came out on the ramparts. A 17-meter class titan was lumbering towards the castle. Mikasa was poised to strike. Something changed. Suddenly, she wasn't seeing a normal titan, she saw Annie. Rage boiled through her veins. She zipped through the trees, dodging them gracefully, spinning in the air with the incredible force. Her blades cuts cleanly through the titan's neck.

"Die, Annie." She whispered. Landing on a trunk, she was joined by Levi. They checked the surrounding area for titans and found none.

Levi was shocked, far more than he should have been. But she'd moved so fast, his eyes could barely keep up. One second she was as calm as she always was, the next the titan was dead. Her speed had outmatched his for that one instant. _Impossible.._ he kept telling himself. But his eyes told a different story.

"Ackermann, what was that?" He demanded from his side of the tree. Mikasa gave him a blank stare.

"I don't-" she started.

"The speed! How did you get that fast?" He demanded. Mikasa frowned.

"I was only going a little faster than I normally do." She calmly stated. Levi shook his head. Something was up and he wanted to know what it was.

"Ackermann, that was a normal 17-meter class. You could have easily taken it out without the greater speed. So why did you?" Levi questioned. Mikasa remained silent. If they were going to work together, they would have to trust each other. The other half of Mikasa protested to trusting Levi for obvious reasons.

"I saw Annie." She stated. Levi closed his eyes.

"Fine." He snapped. "We need to finish the inventory and clean the castle." He left and Mikasa followed, flying through the trees.

They finished adding up the gas and workable gear. By then it was lunchtime. After eating, Mikasa decided to try recruiting some more people.

"You should come too, Levi." She said.

"And why should I help you recruit some snotty brats from the Garrison?" He scoffed.

"Because we're partners. As joint commanders it would be better if we did it together." She explained.

"Fine, I'll come. This place is filthy, but we need more people to clean anyway. The others are coming tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Let's go." Levi deadpanned.

~0~

Krista Lenz' home wasn't hard to find. Apparently the abolition of the Recons had been publicly announced that morning. Krista had chosen the Garrison, out of no other option. She was feeling down about it all, particularly the recent deaths.

_Rap. Rap. Rap. _

Krista groaned. She was _not _in the mood for visitors. Still, she had to answer the door, regardless if she wanted to or not.

"Hello, I'm-" She stopped. She'd expected some salesman or friend and was ready to shoo them away. She certainly hadn't expected these two. Swallowing, she said;

"Um, can I help you?"

"As a matter of fact you can." Levi stated. "I'm sure you've heard of the Recons' replacement. Krista nodded. Who hadn't?

"We'd like to recruit you." Mikasa stated. Krista stood there for a minute.

"Are you going to accept or stand there drooling?" Levi snapped. Krista realized her jaw was hanging open. Shutting it, she replied.

"Yes, thank you-"

"Great, it's settled. Return to the former Recon HQ tomorrow at dawn. Don't be late." Levi stated. Krista nodded. The two left without another word.

~0~

Ymir was next on Mikasa's list. Although, she was compliant, her main question was if Krista was coming.

After recruiting the two, Levi decided what to do next.

"I think we should have a little talk with Annie."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

"I thought you said she was in a coma." Mikasa asked. Levi rolled his eyes.

"It's been a day since I checked in, we should see if she's woken." He replied.

"And if she has?" Mikasa questioned.

"Then we'll have to see if you can keep it together." Levi stated, giving Mikasa a hard stare.

~0~

"Sir, I'm not sure if-" The scared guard stuttered.

"We have clearance. If anyone asks defer them to us." Levi stated calmly.

"O-okay." The guard stuttered under their cold gaze. He fumbled with the keys to the steel and stone door.

"Just keep going down. The elevator will take you down."

Mikasa and Levi walked through the dim corridor in silence. Neither of them knew if Annie had woken yet. The elevator at the end was bulky and noisy, clanging against the stone. It took them twenty minutes of almost freefalling, before being jolted to a stop. The elevator slowly slid a few feet more. Levi opened the door to a new corridor guarded by armed police. At the end was a heavily fortified door. It was opened to a small room. Annie was on a bed, almost mummified in metal straps. She opened her eyes as they approached her. Mikasa felt her throat tighten painfully. She closed her eyes. It was a good thing Levi had made her leave her gear by the door.

"Annie Leonhart," Levi said. "We need to ask you some questions."

Annie remained unresponsive although her eyes never left Mikasa's face.

"Where did you come from?" Annie didn't answer. Levi slapped her. She didn't flinch.

"Levi. Don't do that." Mikasa admonished. Levi gave her a you idiot look.

"And why not?" Mikasa sighed.

"Didn't you learn anything from your time with Eren? Titan shifters are able to shift through pain, although mostly self-inflicted." Mikasa explained. Levi frowned. How were they going to get any information from Annie without threat of force?

"Where are you from?" Mikasa asked. No answer.

"Where is your father?" Sadness flashed across Annie's face. _Even if the whole world is against you, your father will always stand beside you. _

"Where is Eren?" Annie asked, her voice hoarse. Mikasa and Levi remained silent.

"You should know the answer." Levi answered, keeping a hand on Mikasa's arm. Annie seemed puzzled. "And why would we tell you where he is?" He mocked.

"He defeated me. He must still be alive. " Her voice had trailed into a distant tone, her eyes became unfocused.

"We're not here to answer your questions, but we might if you give us true answers to ours." Mikasa stated.

"That won't happen." Annie said, her hard azure eyes meeting Mikasa's.

"Then we'll leave you to your unanswered questions."

"Good-bye…. Commanders." Annie said as they left. Once out of the room, Levi almost ran to the other side and into the elevator.

"Levi. Why are you hurrying?" Mikasa demanded.

"How did she know? The contingency plan was only presented to us yesterday and announced this morning. Annie shouldn't have any knowledge of what goes on in the outside world." Levi explained.

"Why shouldn't she know?" Mikasa asked. The elevator gave a jolt.

"If they want to break her, they'll have to do it psychologically. They can't be going and giving her information on outside happenings." He explained.

"You don't know if that's what they're doing, or if they even have a plan for her at this point." Mikasa said. "But we should ask."

"Commander Pixis probably knows enough to tell us." Levi guessed.

~0~

"And just why are the two newest Commanders asking about a prisoner that has no impact on their objective?" Commander Pixis was seated in his study giving Mikasa and Levi hard looks.

"We'd like to know, sir because-." Mikasa started.

"There may be a traitor, if my guess is right. If not, then I'm simply paranoid." Levi interrupted. Pixis digested this.

"So you want to know what we plan to do with her…. We were going to torture her at first, but Major Hanji told us that titan shifters are able to change form via pain." He paused. "We've been trying solitary confinement, no visitors without express permission or high enough rank."

"Then there is a spy. Annie shouldn't about events like out promotion." Levi stated. Pixis gave him a look.

"And how do you know that she knows this?" Pixis finally asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We interrogated her earlier." Mikasa answered.

"I see." Pixis said. "At least you can pull the rank to keep out of trouble, but I wouldn't recommend doing it in the future." Pixis gently warned.

"Of course, sir." Levi said.

"But, this matter of treason, it will be monitored. For now, you should return to your force." Pixis said. Mikasa and Levi nodded.

"Good-bye, Commander Pixis. Thank you for your time." Levi said.

Once out the door and out of earshot, Mikasa asked.

"Do you think he'll do it?"

"I don't know. Erwin was always closer to brass like him than I was." Levi replied.

"Where is Erwin?" Mikasa asked. Levi sighed.

"I have no idea."

"Perhaps we should ask about him?" Mikasa suggested.

"The Military Police might know."

They walked to the stables where their horses were and encountered Sasha Braus organizing her supplies.

"One bow, three spare strings, extra fletching, 26 finished arrows. Ten tips, and oh yeah, the traps and- Oh hey! Mikasa! And, oh um ahem, hello Commander Ackermann and Commander Levi." Sasha stumbled around before finding her almost nonexistent manners.

"Good afternoon, Braus." Levi said drily. He gestured to the pile of stuff Sasha had piled up. "What is this?" Sasha looked confused.

"Um, Commander, Commander Mika- arm Ackermann said I could hunt around the base." Sasha said nervously.

"I see. Carry on." Levi left and Mikasa followed. They found the Military Police headquarters without issue. Finding an officer who wasn't drunk was a more difficult problem. They finally just found Jean and asked him.

"Um, well I don't really know where an officer is, but I know um, the person you're looking for is." Jean said.

"Then take us to him." Mikasa asked.

"This way."

~0~

Erwin was currently listed as a prisoner, having been stripped of his rank and forced to answer for what happened in Stohess and the late Recon Corps expedition to try to reach Shinganshina. The official trail was scheduled the next week.

The door opened with a loud squeal of un-oiled hinges. Three sets of footsteps came down the corridor to his cell. One heavy, two light. Judging by the light outside it wasn't a mealtime.

"Erwin." Levi said. Erwin was shocked that his replacements were visiting him.

"Levi. Mikasa." He greeted. "What brings you to this cell?"

"Questions." Mikasa said. They told him about Annie, Pixis, and the treason theory. Erwin contemplated it for a minute.

"So.. you're wondering if Pixis will betray your trust." Erwin paused. "I don't know. Pixis has always had his own agenda. He could be on the shifter side for all I know. He's very driven, and will do anything to achieve his goals. He keeps his own counsel and is very secretive. I'm afraid that's all I really know." Erwin finished.

"I see." Levi said.

"Do you think we were wrong to tell him?" Mikasa questioned, a growing knot of nervousness tightening in her stomach.

"No, in fact Pixis is probably the best one to take this sort of situation to, at least in times like these." Erwin said, a tinge of bitterness coloring his last words.

"Thank you, Erwin." Levi said.

~0~

The sunset colored the hills of Wall Maria in soft golden shades, followed by dim gray.

Mikasa and Levi were able to ride to the headquarter without issue. They'd seen several titans and veered away. Mikasa made soup again. Levi loved it, again.

"Who do you think the traitor is?" Mikasa asked, dipping stale bread into the broth. Levi paused eating.

"I don't know. Who was Annie close to?" He asked.

"She wasn't a very outgoing person, Levi." Mikasa said. "The only ones she may have been might be Berthold Hoover and Reiner Braun."

"And where are they now?" Levi asked, his food forgotten.

"I believe they went to the Garrison. Annie went to the military police." Mikasa answered. Levi ingested this and more soup.

"Where are they from?" He asked. Mikasa opened her mouth to answer and realized she didn't know.

"Ackermann?" Levi asked.

"Mikasa. And I don't know." She answered. "It's strange. I knew where everyone else in class was from, but not those three." She paused. "Do you think they're our traitors?"

"I don't know. We should ask the new recruits tomorrow. They might know." He answered.

"Good night, Acker- Mikasa." He said.

"Good night Levi." Mikasa said, cleaning up the dishes.

**Author's Notes:**

**I should probably go ahead and say it already, if you haven't read the manga then you're in for some major spoilers, like a titan inside the wall. Yes, that actually happened. Anyway, I despise authors who just beg for reviews, so as a trigger here's the Question of the Chapter (If you're a guest, go ahead and leave a review with your answer, I love all reviews) **

**Is there a particular cliché or overused pairing, in Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin that you hate and why?**

**For me, it's taking a pairing (Levi/Mikasa, Eren/Mikasa, Jean/Sasha, etc) and having them make out or screw each other by the second or third chapter. It kills all interest in the story for me. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

Sasha woke early, nearly bursting with excitement. She'd packed the night before, and she and Connie were going to ride to the headquarters together. She dressed and hurried down to the breakfast room. She met a bleary-eyed Connie in the stairwell. He wasn't a morning person.  
"Hiya, Connie!" Sasha greeted, giving him a noogie. Connie jerked away.

"Morning Sasha." He mumbled.

They gobbled down their breakfasts and headed for the stables.

"Hey, Potato Woman. Catch." Connie said, throwing a bag at her. Sasha caught it and opened it to find it full of russet potatoes.

"Connie! You're the best, you know that, right?" She exclaimed. Connie grinned. Sasha's expression softened.

"Just don't call me Potato Woman, okay?" She reluctantly asked. Connie was puzzled.

"Jean calls you that all the time and you like it!"

"Well, that's Jean." Sasha stated, blushing. She turned and put the last bag on her horse. They strapped on their gear and mounted and rode out of the gate as the sky was becoming tinged with gray. Mists hung around the hills. As they continued, golden sunlight filtered through the mists.

The tranquility was broken. They were riding through the forest, almost to headquarters. Sasha was mentally setting up traps for the various wildlife. Green and golden light filtered through the trees. Then they heard it. It was the sound of fast thundering steps.

"An aberrant." Connie said. They'd both brought 3DMG because of the obvious need for protection outside Wall Rose. Sending their horses ahead, they launched into the trees. The titan burst into their line of sight and they both rushed at it. Connie zipped in the most direct route, his focus on exactly two things, keeping Sasha safe, and killing the titan. Sasha swung back and forth, laughing as she spun around the trees. She loved her unconventional methods. The titan had its attention on her and she dodged its unnaturally fast movements. She spun around to slice its neck and end it, when a huge hand suddenly appeared before her. She screamed and then it was gone in a flash of crimson. She raced in the other direction and landed on a tree trunk. Connie landed on the opposite tree, his shirt soaked in blood.

"Connie!" Sasha yelled.

"I'm okay! It's not mine!" He shouted.

Sasha realized there was another titan, this one taller than the last. She and Connie launched again, this time with distinct targets. Sasha took the aberrant. "_Dang, this thing is fast…" _She thought absently as she swung out of reach again. She spun around, the forest blurring in her vision and hit the nape of the neck. Blood spattered her uniform and the titan fell with a wail.

Connie approached his with caution. It was a 15-meter class, and he wasn't the most confident guy on the block. The titan's blood was sour in his mouth. Springing from tree to tree, he tried to think of a plan. He wasn't good with those. Armin was the one with the plan, Jean was the one who lead them through the plan, Mikasa was the inspiration and their best human weapon. Eren was the ultimate weapon. He and Sasha were just foot soldiers following orders. He swung around and the titan dodged, Connie barely escaped having his arm bitten off and the titan was sporting a gash on its face. Connie leapt from one tree to the next and finally leapt straight for the neck. The titan's neck turned a full 360 turn. Connie was heading straight for the mouth. He had no way of stopping his own attack. Suddenly, the his surroundings blurred and he had been punched or something in the stomach. Sasha had grabbed him. They landed on trees. Connie nodded in thanks and sprung for the titan. Moving quickly, he finally managed to defeat it. He and Sasha landed on the ground. They were both filthy. Sasha had blood all over her uniform, her ponytail was off the side, leaves were in her hair, and dirt was on her face. Connie wasn't much better. His buzz cut had managed to avoid leaves and such, but was filthy.

"Wait till Commander Levi sees us!" Sasha laughed. Surrounded by the stench of rotting titans, the two laughed.

"He'll probably say something like-" Connie started, giggling.

"This sounds interesting." Came a sarcastic and dry voice from above. They froze. Levi, Mikasa, and Hanji landed from the trees.

"Um, Commanders and Hanji." Sasha stuttered. Hanji grinned.

"Sasha!" She exclaimed, enveloping the girl in a bear hug.

"Nice to see you too." Came Sasha's muffled voice.

"Springer, Braus. We're heading back. Hanji, put Braus down or you'll suffocate her and we'll lose a good soldier." Levi deadpanned.

"Um, Commander Ackermann?" Connie asked. Mikasa turned to him, eyebrows raised.

"Why'd you guys come?"

"Your horses ran into the courtyard, obviously terrified. We heard the sounds of two titans. We came to dispose of them and found it already taken care of." Mikasa replied. She turned and launched into the sky with Levi. Hanji followed with Sasha and Connie at her tail.

"Hey Connie, how much you want to bet Levi's going to ask Mikasa out?" Sasha said conspiratorially. Connie almost fell out of the air.

"What the heck makes you think that'd they'd go out?" He demanded. Sasha laughed.

"Because they're so alike!" She laughed. "It was a crazy idea, huh?" A Cheshire cat grin spread across her face.

"Guess how humanity will get saved?" She giggled. Connie rolled his eyes.

"Don't know. How?" He said.

"Mikasa and Levi will have a titan killing contest. Before sunset, the titans will be extinct." She laughed along with him.

"You're the bestest best friend, you that right?" Sasha said. Connie laughed.

"Of course I am, who else would I be?" They laughed again.

Hanji peered behind her. What on earth were they laughing so hysterically about?

**Author's Note:**

**No, Connie and Sasha aren't serious. They're just joking around because it's in their personalities. Yeah, this chapter is different from the others. I thought it would be a good idea to break up the all the Levi/Mikasa chapters with something more lighthearted. As for the Question of the Chapter:**

**What do you think of my action sequences and do you have any critiques for them? I personally think they don't convey all the right elements. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

_Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! Rap! _

"No need to knock your wrists off, I'm right here!" Sasha yelled as she opened the door to a terrified Military Police messenger.

"And what do you want?" She demanded.

"I, um" He gulped. "I have a message for Commanders Rivaille and Ackermann!" He thrust an envelope into Sasha's hands.

"Bye!" She waved as he rode off. _Poor guy must be terrified to be in titan territory… _

"Afternoon, Sasha."

"Agh!" Sasha nearly jumped out of her skin. Krista laughed.

"Sasha, I didn't know you were scared so easily."

"Well, now ya do!" She huffed and marched off to find Mikasa and Levi.

~0~

"Levi, the final tests of some of the cadet classes are having their final examinations tomorrow. We've been invited to watch." Mikasa said, shuffling through several pieces of paperwork. Levi was cleaning both their gear. It had been three weeks since the others arrived. Training them to be more skilled was difficult. Hanji wasn't in need of any training. Over time, Mikasa and Levi realized that creating such a high level division was going to be more difficult than they thought. There were more problems than simply training to fight.

"Why should we go? They're cadets." Levi stated.

"Everyone here except you and Hanji have proved themselves more than able to fight when we were mere cadets." Mikasa stated.

"Fair point. Also, I we need to recruit Kirchstein. He'd be good enough with some extra training. Also, we need to look into recruiting Berthold and Reiner." Levi said. Mikasa was confused.

"Why the interest now?" Mikasa asked.

"As we've worked with these new recruits, I've realized that it would probably be more effective if we use the whole team rather than a part." Levi explained. He paused. "I'd also like to ask them about Annie."

"I see. What do you mean about the part?"

"I'm sure you've heard them reminisce. Jean was quite the leader, apparently. Recruiting others they trust who have skill will only make the force stronger."

Mikasa was silent.

"You don't think they trust us?"

"They trust you, Mikasa. I don't think they really trust me." He sighed. "Not that I can blame them."

"I see. Sasha and Connie seem to trust Hanji."

"I can see that. Idiots tend to trust other idiots." Levi snorted.

"The tests are today at 4:00"

"Thank you. I think we should-"

_Rap! Rap! Rap!_

"Come in." Mikasa said. Sasha stepped through the door with a letter in her hand.

"Um, ahem" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Commanders, you got a message. Delivered by some MP."

"Thank you, Sasha."

"You're welcome." She said, walking out the door. Levi opened it.

"We've got a meeting with the king at 2:00" He said. Glancing at the clock, Mikasa noted it was 11:45.

"Then we should leave at-" She started.

"12:00" Levi finished.

~0~

The ride to the gate was without incident.

"Ah, Commanders. How nice to see you again." The king greeted. Mikasa and Levi saluted.

"At ease." He waved away their salute. "I've called you here to ask what progress you've made with the recruits. Tell about each one." Levi started.

"We've recruited former Major Zoe Hanji. She is experienced and only grows more skilled. She is currently our best strategic asset since the regrettable demise of Armin Arlert. "

"Excellent. Continue."

"Connie Springer is skilled enough in combat, especially in making sharp and precise turns. His reflexes are also exceptionally sharp. He however, is not skilled in creating solutions to problems. He is a follower and relies almost entirely upon protocol. He does however, make an outstanding partner for Sasha Braus." Mikasa paused before continuing.

"Sasha Braus is skilled in combat and has a creative mind for unconventional uses for 3D Maneuver Gear. Her obedience to orders has been less than satisfactory in the past. Her unique outlook allows her create solutions in difficult situations. She works excellently with Connie Springer, who follows her without question."

The king nodded. "I see. She seems to have a great deal of potential." Levi continued the report.

"Krista Lenz is a well-rounded, but mostly un-extraordinary individual. She follows orders well. Her most striking trait is her unwavering loyalty to the force. She would do anything to help her fellow soldiers. She survived the Battle of Trost while a cadet, proving her perseverance on the field.

Ymir is another uninteresting soldier. She, like Lenz, was at Trost and survived. She is extremely loyal to Lenz as well as the rest of the force. Overall, a satisfactory soldier. That is all."

"Very well. You would both do well to recruit more soldiers. The retaking of Wall Maria is necessary and speed is needed."

Levi and Mikasa saluted and left.

"We still have a few hours left before we need to see the cadets." Mikasa said.

"Yeah, we should head there anyway. May as well talk to the instructors." Levi offered.

They mounted their horses and rode through the Inner District. The sounds of a riot were building in the distance.

"Perhaps we should-" Mikasa began. Levi was already riding off towards the sounds. Mikasa sighed. She was getting cut off an awful lot lately. She rode after him. She saw he was strapping his gear on. They'd tied it to the saddles, given it was necessity outside Wall Rose. She followed suit. Nearing the sounds, they left their horses and leapt onto roofs to get a better view.

In a town square, there was a huge crowd of seething masses. Before them was the Military Police headquarters. The police were trying to push them back, but their numbers were small. Mikasa remembered the stories of the MP officers. It was said they left everything to new members and slacked off. Mikasa and Levi swung down to the front.

"You!" Levi called to the nearest MP. It was a short blond girl. Her eyes widened and the person she was trying to hold back pushed her over. Mikasa stepped in and knocked him out.

"Commander Ackermann! Commander Rivaille!" She shouted above the din. Suddenly, the news of their presence swept through the crowd. Questions were fired at them.

"Hey!" Mikasa yelled at the girl. "Get me Jean Kirchstein!" She and Levi leapt to the front of the building to see what they were dealing with better.

"Commanders! What happened in the Stohess District?!"

"Why hasn't Commander Erwin answered for the failure of the Recons?!"

"Are there really people who can turn into titans?!"

"What is being done about the food shortage?!"

"Are we safe?!"

Chaos reigned in the rioting masses. They heard a zip and Jean landed next to them.

"Commanders."

"What are we dealing with here, Kirchstein?!" Levi yelled above the din. Fights were beginning to break out below them.

"I don't know! At first this was just some people protesting about the prices of food and then.." His voice trailed off.

'Where are your superiors?!" Mikasa shouted. Jean's face took on an expression of disgust.

"Most are drunk as skunks." He snarled. Levi and Mikasa couldn't believe their ears. A riot happening and the officers were drinking. They swung down and entered the building.

**Author's Notes:**

**A special thanks to featherelly for being my first reviewer! **

**Question of the Chapter: What is your view on in-fanfiction OCs? Are they all poorly done, or is there a particular fandom that has some worse than others?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

_Crash!_

Levi kicked the door to the officers' lounge in. Six men were seated around a table, smoking, drinking or lazily gambling. Levi and Mikasa stared in shock.

"Lazy drunks." Levi spat. They were all either too high or inebriated to lead the Military Police division. Mikasa spun on her heel and went to get Jean, who was trying to subdue the crowd.

"Jean! Get in here!" She yelled. Jean dodged a flying brick on his way in. The riot was quickly escalating from bad to worse. Violence was breaking out everywhere between rioters, but the main target was the police.

"Mikasa, what? In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to stop an uprising." He snapped. He had a black eye and blood oozed out of a head wound.

"You are officially being promoted. This division is under your command. You can also pick a second in command." Mikasa said. Jean's mind swirled from the knocks to the head and her statements.

"You don't have the authority-!" He started.

"All of your commanding officers are incapacitated. As the only commanding officer present, you are being promoted. Congratulations." She sighed, hearing a scuffle upstairs. "I'd better make sure my partner doesn't kill anybody." And then she ran up the stairs.

Jean returned to the scene of battle. People were throwing things at the police yelling threats and swears.

"Men! Get out the artillery! We'll have to force them back!" He yelled over the din. Someone else yelled.

"On whose authority?!"

"Mine!" Jean roared. "Emergency promotion from the Commanders!" The police more or less fell into line. Using the rifles, they pushed back the crowds.

Levi was fully venting on the only slightly conscious officer in the room. The officer didn't retain consciousness for more than thirty seconds. Levi was swearing like mad.

"How dare you call yourselves soldiers!" He'd snapped. Mikasa burst in.

"Levi. Enough." She said calmly. Mikasa glanced at the clock. 2:45. They needed to get out of here.

"What were you doing?" Levi demanded.

"Promoting Jean to Captain." Levi raised his eyebrows.

"We won't be recruiting him. I think he's needed here more." She stated firmly. "I think he'll do fine, we've appointed a reliable authority, we should get out of here."

"We can't just leave!" Levi protested.

"Jean was right in saying that we don't technically belong here. We're not the police. I f we don't look at those cadet tests, we're going to get nowhere with recruitment." She said.

They left the station in Jean's hands. He seemed to be making more progress with the authority he needed.

~0~

"It's really an honor to have you here, Commanders." The instructor for the class shook both their hands heartily.

They observed the cadets with their 3DMG, following them through the trees. The cadets apparently had been told as they all seemed incredibly hushed for kids. Levi and Mikasa found nothing worth their time. Leaving around 5:00, they checked back with Jean. The riot had been dispersed. The officers were arrested. Jean managed to keep his promotion. Levi decided to try to recruit him anyway. The boy would be valuable as a emergency team leader. Levi was fully aware of his and Mikasa's mortality.

"Kirchstein. A word?" Levi asked, after was done filling out paperwork.

"Um, Commander Levi, of course."

"Due to your performance today, I'd like to invite you to join out force. Technically, by law I can order you to, but you decide."

Jean's jaw dropped. He was still spinning from his promotion and the riot, and now this?

"And, Braus is with us." Levi threw in.

"Um, let me talk to my second in command."

"Of course."

Jean turned to find Marlo. He found him doing a headcount for everybody.

"Hey, Marlo."

"Jean, congrats!"Marlo exclaimed.

"Hey, if I gave you my post, would you be able to keep things in order?" Jean asked. Marlo's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"I was offered a position in the new elite force." Jean explained. Hitch walked up to them.

"This doesn't have to do with a certain Sasha, does it?" She asked.

"Hey! You've been snooping in my stuff again!" Jean accused. Hitch laughed.

"So it is true then!"

"Hey, Jean. I can hold down the fort here." Marlo said. Jean looked incredibly relieved. He went back to where Levi was waiting.

"I can make the transfer. Just give until the day after tomorrow to put things back together here." Jean said.

"Of course." Levi said. He went back to where Mikasa was waiting. They rode out of city and back into their territory.

They were almost halfway through Wall Rose, when the alarm was sounded.

"The titans have breached the Wall! Evacuate immediately!"

**Author's Note:**

**Aaaand I'm back (sorta) into canon. Anyway, I've officially decided to start making these weekly updates. So a new chapter every sunday. As for the question of the chapter:**

**What is you opinion on titan shifters?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: **

The sun was fading in the east as Sasha rode across the hills. She and the others had returned to Wall Rose to help with evacuation and killing titans. Sasha had been given permission to seek out her old hunting village. She thundered down the road.

Titan footprints were there, leading to her home.

Her gear was strapped to the saddle. She started to put it on, when her horse jumped, throwing her off. Luckily, she landed on her back, but the wind was knocked out of her. She gasped, her lungs refusing to fill with air. She calmed down until she could breathe. Still a bit dizzy, she looked for her horse. It had run off, leaving her here.

"Dang it, no!" She turned to her village. She heard the sounds of a titan eating someone from one of the houses. Other than that, everyone was gone. She went over to the house. A titan was eating a woman. In the corner, was a child. The titan paid neither of them any attention.

"Hey, kid." Sasha called. The child didn't respond. Sasha entered the house and picked up the kid. The titan was still ignoring them, but Sasha knew it wouldn't last. She almost jumped for joy when she it. An axe. Grabbing it, she hacked at the titan's neck. All she succeeded in doing was getting steaming blood on her clothes. The titans nape was too high up for her reach. The axe head flew off. Hurrying out Sasha grabbed a bow and some arrows. The blasted horse had made off with her gear. They'd made it to the road before the titan came after them.

"Kid," Sasha said. "Head down this road, run if you can. Keep going until you meet other people. They'll take you to safety." She turned to the titan. _It's okay, Sasha. It's just a normal 3-meter class. You can do this. You can do this. _She fired the first arrow and hit the titan square in the head, which did nothing to stop it. _Come on Sasha, this prey big.._

She fired another arrow, straight into the titan's eye. She lunged at thrust her last arrow into the titan's other eye. It's arm came up to crush her. Its hand was slick with blood. She slid out and ran. After running awhile, she came across a group of people fleeing. She stopped short.

"Pa?" She gasped.

~0~

Levi and Mikasa rode around the perimeter of Wall Rose. The sun had already set. They were panicking.

"Levi, we've been out here for hours, haven't we?" Mikasa asked.

"Yeah, you haven't seen anything, right?"

"No."

"Are titans attracted to torchlight?" Mikasa asked.

"Yes, if they're around." Levi answered darkly.

"If?"

"Hanji says titans need sunlight to survive or at least stay mobile. But, it's only a few hours after dark."

"I see."

"Do you think there are other shifters here?" Levi asked.

"I don't know. But it's definitely a possibility. But wouldn't someone notice?" She said.

"Maybe not. After all, you thought Eren was a titan in Trost." Mikasa winced. Another reminder of her failure to protect him.

"True, but…. We knew something was.. .. different about…. It." She said. Levi realized he'd struck a nerve.

"Then there could be any number of them." He frowned. "Annie should know who they are."

"Of course she does. But she isn't talking yet."

"If there are more titan shifters, then humanity is doomed." Levi whispered. Mikasa digested this.

"Why do you say that?"

"Shifters can move in and out of humanity without us knowing. We have no way to screen them either. Annie and Eren are so different, you couldn't tell if there were distinctive characteristics. And they know all the weaknesses of our methods."

"But, they are also more vulnerable." Mikasa added.

"True, but that's only if we catch them in human form." There was a long pause as the two considered. A small light appeared on the horizon, getting closer quickly.

"You know, what if the titan shifters are titans who gained human abilities?" Mikasa added.

"What?"

"Well, humans do have some advantages over titans. We're smaller, more intelligent, and are able to reproduce. "

"But then, where did the titans come from?"

By that time, the other group had reached them. It was Sasha, Connie, and Hanji accompanied by a few members of the Garrison. From what they could see, Connie looked shaken, mumbling to himself.

"Braus, Springer, report." Levi barked. Sasha did the talking.

"We went and investigated around the areas where the titans were seen, sir." She paused.

"We don't have all night! Get on with it!" Levi yelled.

"Well, sir, we, we went to Connie's village. And um, we found some uh, strange stuff. There was nobody there, not a single soul. And there was no blood at all. But," She bit her lip. Levi gave her the Glare of Doom.

"We found a titan. It's legs and arm were too shriveled for it to move. But it was on top of Connie's house. Connie says it looked just like his mom."

Silence. It was so quiet, Mikasa thought she could hear Levi's heart beating along with hers.

"Connie," she began. " He looked up to her.

"Return to headquarters. We'll meet you there later." He nodded and rode away. As he rode away Levi asked.

"Anything else?"

"We came around the wall and the other patrol said they'd hadn't found any breaches. But they kept going. Berthold and Reiner went with them. That's it."

"Where are they headed?" Mikasa asked. Sasha shrugged.

"Don't know. They just headed on after us."

Levi and Mikasa shared a look. They could tell everyone was tired.

"Hanji, is there anywhere safe or high where we can stay and survey the wall at dawn?" Levi asked.

"There's a castle to the southwest. We can make it from here. It's called Castle Litgard."  
"How far?"

"We'll be there by dawn. It has a great tower for us to look out from."

With that they rode through the night with a new objective. As dawn neared, they came in sight of the castle, Sasha gasped. Mikasa's eyes widened. Levi cursed. Hanji shrieked.

"Titans?!" Came the collective gasp. Levi took command from there.

"Defensive positions now. We must rescue the survivors and eliminate this threat."

"Yes, sir."

They rode to castle and saw the tower fall with a resounding crash. As they neared, they discovered infighting. There was one titan fighting the rest. Or rather, getting eaten by the rest.

Mikasa leapt from the back of her horse and cut a deadly cut into the titan's neck. From the corner of her eye she noted that Krista was running towards the resisting titan, yelling at the top of her lungs. Mikasa landed in from of her.

"We'll take it from here."

She returned to the fray, hacking at the biting titans. Most were covered under debris, which it harder. Just as they thought they'd cleared an area a new wave kept coming in. Levi was cutting titans everywhere. The titans were everywhere. Mikasa spun and hacked as fast as she could. Levi was doing the same.

Mikasa centered on a titan, half buried. Slicing into the nape of the neck, she swirled to the next titan, cutting of its arm and spinning around to the neck. She struck too hard and her blade became embedded into its neck. Whipping out another one, she charged again, making a clean cut.

A few hours later, the titans were dead. Krista was cradling Ymir's head on her lap, crying softly. Hanji stood to the side, pondering something. Reiner and Berthold looked about ready to collapse. Reiner had his arm in a sling. All around them, the stench of the titans lingered. Steam rose up from the rubble where they had been killed. Ymir was unconscious and missing an arm and leg.

"We're moving out to Wall Rose for medical attention." Mikasa announced.

~0~

"I know Ymir should have come forward about her being a titan shifter and all, but she is changed person! She sacrificed herself for us! Before she was just living for herself and you can't just kill her or-" Hanji held up a hand to halt Krista's dramatic begging.

"Krista, I know. I'd like her to tell us all she knows, so I'll try to be on good terms with her. But for now, she's being moved to Trost for medical attention." She paused and Krista looked relieved beyond words. "I heard you say your name was Historia? Historia Reiss, right?" Hanji asked. Krista looked scared.

"Yeah, that's my name." She whispered.

"Isn't the Reiss family part of the noble class?"

"Yes, they are."

"I see." Hanji commented.

~0~

Levi and Mikasa ended up crashing on the kitchen table. Everyone else somehow made it to their rooms. There was a letter on the table. Mikasa opened it. She read it and buried her face in her hands. Levi was curious now.

"What is it?"

"A party. Mandatory. At the castle in Wall Shina." Levi buried his face in his arms. They'd hadn't slept in over twenty hours and now they had to attend a high class social event. Neither of them had been to anything this classy. Levi had been to a few high end parties, but nothing like this. Mikasa had never even been to a party other than the few birthday parties she, Eren and Armin had growing up. They weren't really parties, all that happened was they got to have some tea, a cake with no icing or sugar (sweetened with a teaspoon of honey) with some apple slices on top. Only Eren and Armin were there.

They had considered them the best days ever.

Mikasa lifted her head out of her hands. Levi had fallen asleep on the table. Hanji walked in, looking for food.

"Hanji?" Mikasa yawned.

"Wake us in two hours." Her head the table and she fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, Mikasa's memories are a bit depressing. And yes, they are going to a party. And yes, I'm doing a double update. Consider yourselves lucky. **

**Question of the Chapter:**

**Anyone stuck to their New Year's Resolutions? **

**I certainly haven't. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

"Hey, it's been a couple of hours." Hanji shook Levi awake. Mikasa was like a stone.

"Yeah," He yawned. "I'm up." Hanji set a cup of tea in from of him and Mikasa.

"Hey, Hanji." Levi said.

"Yeah?"

"You ever been to a royal party?" Hanji choked on her tea.

"No-o. I've been to some nobles parties." She stammered. Levi sighed.

"Okay. We got invited to one. I guess it's formal attire." He grouched. Mikasa finally woke up and stretched. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon.

"Well, good luck. I've got to go and see if Ymir's woken in Trost. See ya." She said as she left. _Well, there goes the other one person who would know how to get Mikasa outfitted for tonight. Well, it can't be helped._

"Mikasa, do you have a dress?" Levi asked. Mikasa gave him a weird look.

"Yeah…"

"Let me see it."

"Okay, it's in my closet. Why do you want to see it?" She asked as they walked towards the stairs.

"I need to see if it's good enough for tonight." He answered.

They walked up the stairs in silence. The events of the previous night were still taking their toll.

"Here it is." Mikasa held up a plain cotton dress. Levi shook his head.

"We'll have to buy you a new one. Especially if this is a regular occurrence."

They rode out and left Jean in charge. Wall Rose didn't have the stores they needed to see. In Wall Shina, they found one good dress shop.

"So, what am I looking for here?" Mikasa asked. All around her were beautiful dresses of every shape and color, far fancier than anything she'd seen.

"Something for a party. And some shoes. We'll need those." Levi said. "I'll go get them."

Mikasa rolled her eyes. She had no idea what one wore to a party! She swallowed her pride and asked the store clerk. The clerk have her a once over and raised on eyebrow. A commoner looking for a dress for an upper class party?

"This way." She muttered.

"Here is our finest selection, if you decide to look for something a little more, um, economical, look over here." She gestured to the two departments and walked back over to the front desk. Mikasa looked at all the dresses there. She had no idea what to chose. Levi came back and was pretty frustrated at her indecision.

"Why haven't you picked one out?" He growled. He had a shoebox under one arm.

"I don't know which one to pick." Mikasa hissed. Levi sighed. He looked around for dress that might be her size. There was a midnight blue one that looked like it. He pulled it down and handed it to her.

"Will this fit?"

Mikasa held it up to her shoulders.

"Yeah. Thanks."

They bought the dress and left. Levi was musing over Mikasa's obvious lack of knowledge regarding upper class society. If she didn't know how pick a dress for a party, would she know how to discern between a dinner fork and a dessert fork? Probably not. Although he didn't know if it would be a traditional dinner or buffet.

"Levi." Mikasa said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Are we going to go back to Headquarters?" Levi checked the time on a nearby clock tower. It was 5:00 pm. They were due at seven.

"No, we'll just wait here. We can catch a carriage to take us there."

"Where are we going to stay while we wait?" They turned a corner and Levi smiled. A bookstore. Perfect.

"Hanji has an old apartment around here. Erwin and I used to meet around there with her. She won't mind." They dismounted and entered the store. Levi found what he wanted fairly quickly. An etiquette book. He bought it and they went to the apartment.

"Read this" He told her. Mikasa read the cover and realized what it was for.

"Fine."

~0~

Levi and Mikasa were astonished. They were at the party and it was incredible. Mikasa was especially transfixed by the food. She'd never eaten anything this sweet before. The punch was sweet, the food was sweet, how did they get everything so sweet?!

"Levi" She whispered at the table. "Why is everything sweet?" He shook with silent mirth at her wide eyes.

"Mikasa, here they have what is called sugar."

"Sugar." She said, tasting the word. Mikasa resolved not to forget this night. Levi turned and walked over some other men at the bar.

"Miss Ackermann." A pompous voice greeted from behind her. She turned to face the wife of some official.

"Hello." She said quietly.

"Good Evening. I am Anna Chandler. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The same to you Mrs. Chandler." Mikasa said. Her palms were sweating and she felt strangely lightheaded. Maybe it was the sugar?

"I've heard all about your immense bravery at the Battle of Trost." The woman drawled.

"Oh. Thank you" Mikasa said awkwardly.

"So tell me," She whispered conspiratorially "is it true that you and Commander Rivaille are an, _item_?"

Mikasa spluttered on her punch, almost spilling on her dress.

"Excuse me?" She said, her ears burning crimson.

"Well?" The woman prompted.

"… What gives you that impression?" Mikasa collected herself.

"Well, you two do work quite closely, I'm sure. And you were promoted quite quickly."

"Pardon my impudence, but I don't see how any of this is your concern, Mrs. Chandler." Mikasa countered. The woman raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, you know dear. Gossip around us _ladies_." With that she swished away in her silken dress. Mikasa turned to the buffet table again and selected some savory sweet chocolates. The warm bread was soft and she relished the taste of with soft, light butter. The meat was oozing juices and was the only thing there wasn't sweet, but rather spicy.

"Enjoying the food?" Mikasa turned to face Commander Pixis. She swallowed her meat.

"Good evening, Commander Pixis." She said.

"And a good evening to you, Commander." He paused. "I heard you were, _involved _in a riot just yesterday?"

Mikasa's mind blanked. Then she remembered. Only yesterday? It felt like years ago.

"…Yes. We assisted in its closure, though." She said, taking a sip of the sickly sweet punch. It was her twelfth cup. Ah, the stuff here never got old.

"I see. I'm afraid such incidents are only going to become more common." He gauged her reaction. Mikasa kept her natural stoicism up.

"How soon is the attempt on Wall Maria going to be?"

"We don't have an official estimate, but former Major Hanji has speculated at twenty years." Mikasa said. Pixis frowned.

"That's entirely too long."

"Oh?" Mikasa asked. Everyone was pressuring them to retake the wall as fast as possible, but an elite force isn't trained in day.

"You saw firsthand what is going on." Pixis lowered his voice. They'd been walking and talking. "Food shortages, overpopulation, high crime rates, unemployment, and MPs." He snorted at them in derision. "It's really a wonder we haven't had a full uprising yet." He mused. Mikasa digested this.

"And what will the retaking of Wall Maria do to solve your problems?" She asked. Pixis smirked.

"Don't call them mine, young lady, they're just as much yours as mine and everyone else's. But think, with Wall Maria retaken the food shortage won't last, plenty of field workers will need to be hired, and villages will need hired builders and new inhabitants to be rebuilt. It's really simple. So," He turned to face Mikasa. "You should try to hurry up before you can't even make an attempt." With that he bowed and left her by the window. Mikasa thought about what he had said while eating the delicious delicacies on her plate. She decided to go find Levi. He was just talking to someone else.

"Hello Mikasa," He greeted. "I'd like to introduce you to the Military Police commander, Edward Chandler."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Commander Ackermann. My daughter is a huge fan." He stuck out his hand and Mikasa shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Commander Chandler." She replied. Mrs. Chandler walked up to the group.

"Dear, would you like to take the next dance?" She asked sweetly.

"Of course. If you will excuse us." He said.

"Of course." Levi said. He turned to Mikasa.

"Shall we? It's considered impolite if we don't." Levi asked. Mikasa nodded. Once they were on the dance floor, she realized she had no idea how to dance.

"Levi? I don't know how?"

"Follow my lead."

It was a fairly simple dance, and Mikasa being the prodigy at everything like she was, caught on quickly. She even had fun. She considered telling him about the gossip going around, when the tranquility of high society was shattered.

~0~

Ymir's body ached. She opened her eyes with a groan. Somebody around called for someone. Her head was too woozy for her to figure it out. She did, however, notice the various restraints on her bed. She was slipping back into unconsciousness.

_Slap!_

Her head jerked to the side painfully.

"Who are you allied with?" A man's voice barked.

"I-I- Ugh!" The man kicked her in the stomach.

"Come on, that couldn't have hurt you, filthy titan shifter." He jeered.

"Are there any other shifters inside the wall?!" He yelled. Ymir looked around for something to help her out of this. There was a knife on the table by her bed and some other instruments. All probably designed to get her to talk. She just had to hold out. The man punched in the face, swearing. He kicked her again.

"Hodge, get her into the chair." He barked. Someone undid the restraints. Ymir moved as fast as she could and grabbed the knife. The man pressed a gun to her head.

"Don't." He growled. Ymir smirked and slit her palm.

Light and the house they were in exploded, sending debris everywhere. Ymir had shifted into titan form. She ripped apart the man and then looked around her. She saw Hanji with Connie and Sasha.

_Oh no…_

If they got the wrong idea….

Ymir was weak. She was already exhausted. The world faded away.

People were screaming everywhere and running to the gate. Hanji watched a mother carrying her baby run past her yelling "Not again, Good Lord, Not again!" Hanji grimly remembered that Trost had been subject to a titan attack only a few months ago. Sasha and Connie looked like they were remembering as well.

"Sasha, Connie!" She barked turning to them. "We're just going to help Ymir out-" Sasha screamed and launched into the sky, followed by Connie.

Hanji had been crushed by Ymir. Sasha curled into the fetal position on the roof. "Hanji-san…."

_Ymir watched the bubbles cascade around her as she sunk into the crystalline water. _

_"I love the ocean." She thought. She landed in a coral reef. Colorful fish schools swam by. The dappled sunlight felt good on her skin. She loved it down here. She never wanted to leave and return to those Walls. Never wanted to fight again. It was so peaceful. _

"Sasha, calm down." Connie said. "Ymir must be going berserk like Mikasa said Eren did. We just have to cut her out." Sasha understood. All around them people were fleeing the district. Ymir was eating Hanji.

Sasha and Connie took off. Connie sliced a deep cut across Ymir's face. She howled and swatted at Connie. Sasha came in from behind and cut across her back, spinning. Ymir whirled around and reached for Sasha.

She and Connie landed on the roof of a nearby building. Ymir gave chase and they responded. She tried to climb up the building. Connie sliced off one of her hands.

"Switch!" He yelled and Sasha took his place cutting off the other hand. Ymir screamed as she hit the ground and scrambled back up, only to have her eyes cut out by Sasha's spinning. Connie came in from behind and sliced her arm. She fell facedown. Sasha leapt in front of her face.

"Ymir!" She frantically yelled "Can you hear me? Come out! Take control! Do something!"

_Ymir's peaceful haven of sunlight and cool water being disturbed. There was a boat above. Someone was trying to signal, waving their arms._

_"Who cares?" She thought. The need for air didn't seem to be present here. Ymir was content the way she was. She loved the sea…_

_If only Krista were here to see it too._

_But Krista was behind those horrible walls, caged within. She had never been able to see the sea. Never able to see the beauties beneath the azure waves._

_"Krista…"_

"Connie!" Sasha yelled. "Go get Mikasa!"

"Where the heck is she?!" He yelled back. Ymir wasn't moving, but she wasn't responding either. And apparently all the Garrison members didn't want to go anywhere near there.

"I read their invitation. They're at the king's palace. It's in Wall Shina!"

Connie took off with his 3DMG, zipping through the streets and over the walls. Anyone in Wall Shina would know where that was. Sasha kept trying to revive Ymir. She didn't want to stab her, that might put her back into a murderous rage.

"Ymir. Listen. You have to wake up. We were going to hide you, keep you safe. Come on, what would Krista say? She'd want you to come out, so come on Ymir!' desperation was clinging to Sasha's voice. Ymir had never been the kindest of souls, but she was a trusty friend.

"Sasha! Ymir!" Sasha turned to see Krista coming down, tears streaking her face.

"What happened!?" She cried.

"Ymir went berserk. Try talking to her, please?" Sasha begged. Krista was appalled. She'd put in so much work in trying to keep Ymir from being killed.

"Ymir. Please. Wake up! If you don't… They'll kill you!" She cried. "You said I should live for myself and go by my real name. Ymir, your friendship is everything to me! You once said you'd take to see the sea. Remember? How will you do that if you're dead?! Ymir, LIVE!" She sobbed. "Come out, please." She whimpered.

_Ymir was annoyed by the disturbance. She looked up. Suddenly, the surface was broken. _

_"Krista!" _

_She was yelling, her lungs filling with water. Ymir could see it. She waved frantically at Ymir from above. Ymir swam up and broke the surface. _

Krista sobbed with relief as Ymir fell out of her titan's neck.

"Historia…"

"Thank you, Ymir." Krista whispered.

~0~

Connie raced through Wall Shina with his 3DMG. His shirt was covered in blood. He saw a civilian.

"Hey, you!" He yelled. The man looked frightened.

"Where's the king's palace!?"

"Three streets down, take a left then right at the corner!"

He dashed to the castle according to the man's directions.

_Please, please be the right place._

He busted through the doors, startling several servants and ran for where the action was. He crashed into a room full of food. His mouth watered before he remembered why he was here. Since he didn't see Mikasa or Levi, he raced into the adjacent ballroom, causing a commotion. Levi and Mikasa were there.

"Commanders!" He yelled. The room fell silent. Levi and Mikasa dashed over.

"Springer." Levi's voice carried death threats if this wasn't important.

"Hanji…. She's dead." He started. Levi's eyes went wide.

"I see." He struggled to keep his composure. "Where and how?"

"We went to see Ymir, Sasha was with us and then she shifted. And ripped apart this guy and stomped on Hanji and tried to eat her. Then Sasha and I we-"

"That's enough, Connie." Mikasa said. The king strode forward.

"What is going on?" He demanded. The story was retold again, and the room gasped. The king looked grim.

"This Ymir, she is to be killed or captured, if possible. At once." He commanded. He turned to commander Chandler.

"Get these two some gear at once."

"Yes, sir."

Mikasa and Levi with Commander Chandler at their tail were flying through the city before either of them had said a word to each other.

"Levi." Mikasa called. "What is our plan?"

"Capturing Ymir." Levi said.

They flew into Trost and found Ymir already incapacitated.

"Braus," Levi barked. "Report!" Sasha looked up at him with tearstained eyes.

"Ymir just shifted. We don't know why. Hanji said she'd lost control, like Eren did at Trost. Because of exhaustion." She broke down to more sobbing.

"I see." Mikasa said. "We'll have to imprison her at once. Commander Chandler, do we have any more high security prisons like the one Annie Leonhart is in?"

"Yes, we prepare three other cells."

"Thank you, we'll put her in there."

"I have a prison detail. I've already called them." He said. Seeing Mikasa and Levi's skeptical looks, he explained.

"They're my most trusted soldiers. Former Recon Squad Leader Rico is their captain." True to his words, Rico and her team arrived and took Ymir away. Krista looked about ready to burst.

Mikasa sighed. Could things possibly get worse?

They watched the high security carriage head for the gate, when there was a blinding flash of light. Mikasa instinctively shielded her eyes. She opened them to face the Armored Titan.

Mikasa flew through the air. She had no idea how the titan was here, other than the fact that it was it was almost certainly a titan shifter. She just couldn't figure out who. Whipping between the buildings, she flew for the titan. Sending out her cables, she tried to attach herself to the titan. She was well over a hundred feet in the air.

The cables wouldn't connect to the titan's armor.

Mikasa was falling, heading straight for the pavement. Then she was caught. The titan was holding her cables in its hand. Then it began to spin her. Mikasa screamed for all she was worth. She felt the crack of several bones and hoped her spine had made it unscathed. Fumbling, her vision white with pain, she tried to unbuckle her gear. One side fell off. Now she was swinging by her side. At this point, Mikasa wasn't sure which was more painful. The buckle snapped and Mikasa went flying through the air. Only instead of down, she went up higher and higher, until she caught a glimpse of something blue on the horizon.

_I'm sorry, Eren…_

**Author's Note:**

**….. I have nothing to say at this point…. Tell me what you think in a review. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

**IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: If you read the last chapter before yesterday evening, reread the ending. It has been changed. **

"MIKASA!" Levi yelled. He watched as Mikasa tried to fight the Armored Titan. He didn't know why but it seemed like the beast was staring at him as he swung her around. Faster and faster. Levi couldn't take it. Watching his friend suffer was almost unbearable. Especially when he could hear her screaming. He circled around, looking for a weakness to exploit. Darting around, he noted that there were, in fact, some crevices in the armor. One of these was behind the knees. He whipping forward and sliced across the exposed tendons. The titan fell with a resounding crash, thankfully towards Wall Rose, so it landed in the middle of Trost.

Captain Rico was already running up and down the titan's body, slashing and hacking at exposed places. Levi adamantly refused to stop hacking the knee tendons. As long as those remained cut, the titan was unable to walk. Levi swore if he found out who was, he would tear them apart, no matter what information they might have. Rico had set what remained of her team to keep the monster down and ran over to Levi.

"Commander Rivaille, what happened to Commander Ackermann?" She asked. Levi paused.

"She's dead." He stated. Rico looked confused.

"He ate…?"

"No, where were you?" He spat out. Rico frowned.

"We were incapacitated."

"I see."

"Commander, I don't think she's dead…." Rico started.

"And what makes you think that?"

"A titan jumped off of its shoulder, seconds before you cut it down." Levi stared at her. Ymir? Caught Mikasa? Very possibly in the air? _No, not possible…._

"I see…"

"I'll take over here, if you want." Rico offered. Levi decided to let her. He had a friend to find. Krista was a basket case.

"Lenz." Levi barked. Krista looked at him through tearful eyes.

"They're going to kill her, aren't they?" She sobbed. Levi sighed and counted to ten. Ymir was dead last on his list of worries.

"I don't know. In fact, we don't know where Ymir is at this point. She vanished. Currently, the only troops are working on keeping that thing down until we can find out who's inside." He stated. Krista started to look hopeful.

"So, can I go look for her?" She begged. Levi sighed.

"Yes. Currently, Commander Ackermann is MIA, although she's probably dead." Levi couldn't meet Krista's eyes.

"Oh. So we're going to look for them?"

"Yes, idiot."

"Yes, sir."

They took off around the wreckage of Trost. The damages from the titan's first attack hadn't fully been repaired. Krista shook her head. _They should just level the place and turn it to farmland…. _Everywhere building were smashed in or debris had damaged them. Levi and Krista realized they probably shouldn't be using 3DMG around such insecure structures. They landed started walking. Levi was constantly surveying the wreckage. He couldn't hear a sound. Rico's implication that Ymir had somehow tried to save Mikasa as she was falling still didn't seem real to him, but even so he was determined to find the body. Krista was desperate to find Ymir. In the end, they were both exhausted soldiers desperately searching for their friends.

After four hours of fruitless searching, Krista collapsed onto a pile of rubble. Her shoulders shook from repressed emotion.

"Commander, where are they?" She sobbed. Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. His stomach had been in knots for hours and his anger had no outlet.

"I don't know." He spoke through gritted teeth. There was so much wreckage, he couldn't figure out where Ymir or Mikasa would have landed.

Levi and Krista continued to search. They'd begun to look amid the wreckage, calling out for Ymir and Mikasa. Krista lifted a large piece of wood.

"Ymir! Mikasa!" She shouted. "Mikasa! Ymir! Answer if you can!" She was met with a stone wall of silence. Turning to Levi's direction she yelled,

"They're not in here!" Levi looked up from the wreckage he was looking through. The Garrison had finally come out and were helping survivors. Rico had sent out a general description for Ymir and Mikasa and orders to bring them both back, ideally alive.

Rico was having some trouble of her own. They'd managed to keep the Armored Titan down, but the beast wasn't exactly laying there either. It kept trying to rise. Rico and her men had discovered several more chinks in the armor. The most important one remained the knee tendons. Rico was still investigating the nape of the neck. She was truly fascinated by the armor. It was more than just a plating of hard skin. It was flexible. She'd been working at it for several hours. She stabbed her sword into another chink. The armor wasn't one plate, but rather many smaller ones, linked together fit and be flexible. Rico was exploiting this weakness to try and carve out the shifter inside. She wished Hanji was there. She stabbed angrily into one of the crevices. Her blade sank up to the hilt. The titan gave an enormous shudder and suddenly, explosion were going off all over its body.

"Take cover!" She yelled.

Rico and her soldiers ran for cover from the explosions. A stench rose from the body. Rico realized the titan was dead. She raced back through the steam to the nape. It was disintegrating along with everything else. She saw the outline of a man's body. Her sword was sticking out of the center of his neck. Cursing, she pulled it out and yanked the man from within. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Reiner Braun!" She exclaimed. Rico waved her team over. They secured his hands feet and gagged his mouth. Rico made a thorough examination of him to ensure that he wasn't hiding some trick up his sleeve like Annie had.

"Alright, send him off." Rico ordered. "And get me a list all his family, friends, or anything and everything connected to him."

"Yes, Captain."

Rico's vice-captain walked up to her as the shifter was hauled away.

"Captain," He greeted. "Are you going to deliver the report or would you like me to?"

"No, you will." She stated.

"When you are asked for, what am I going to tell people?" Rico paused. She hadn't considered this.

"Tell them I'm helping an old friend."

"I see. Anything else you want me to do?" He asked.

"Yes. Send out an order than anyone seeing Mikasa Ackermann or a girl named Ymir are to bring them in instantly."

"Yes, Captain. I assume this is go as far as Wall Shina?"

"Yes."

"I'll get that done right away."

"Good."

Levi and Krista were nearing the end of searchable territory. Levi was beginning to wonder if Mikasa had somehow escaped. Or that Ymir kidnapped her. Neither was a pleasant idea. Krista was nearing a mental breakdown as the sun was reaching the horizon.

"Lenz." Levi started. Krista ignored him. She kept looking. "We have to give a report. We'll search tomorrow."

"…But.. we.." she was breathing heavily. She sat down and another sob racked her body.

"Regardless, we still-" Levi began. Krista's hands curled into fists and her head shot up.

"Ymir was my closest friend!" She shouted. "I can't just LEAVE her! Mikasa was my friend too! I'M NOT LEAVING ANY OF THEM JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T CARE!" Krista screamed, tears streaming down her face. Levi's face as cold as his tone.

"I do care about Mikasa. Granted, more than I do about Ymir." He paused. "Now is the worst time to break down." He sighed.

"Return to Headquarters. Inform Kirchstein of what's happened. I will give the report." He turned to leave. "Also, you shouldn't give up on them. They are both strong. Believe in their strength." He strode away, leaving her to mourn.

Levi gave his report. It was well after midnight when he left the castle. He decided to crash at Hanji's old apartment.

Jean had no idea how fate could be so cruel. First he had to leave his station after a riot, then fight titans, then be left in charge of the Headquarters, and then _this. _ he'd even been enjoying himself. No annoying Connie. No distracting Sasha. No Levi jumping down his throat. No Mikasa agreeing with Levi and ordering him around. No Ymir being a weirdo wild person. No Krista to stare at. Well, he missed Krista. But he didn't have Hanji chattering about titan this or that. Seriously, what was wrong with that woman?! It was peaceful. The breeze was nice, the sun was out, no titans anywhere nearby.

And then Ymir and Mikasa showed up.

**Author's Note:**

**I'm hoping to not replicate the late changes to the last chapter. So this is kinda my apology. Anyway, I never heard what you guys thought, so…**

**QOC: What are your thoughts on the progression of the story between this chapter and the last?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

"It's clear, come on."

"Don't be so noisy, moron."

"Shhh."

"You sure they're here?"

"No."

"Well that's great. It could be full of the Central Police."

"We're with the Military Police. We're investigating. That's the story."

"Fine. Let's hope we don't screw this up."

Jean was panicking by now. At least all of Mikasa's ribs were broken, her arm was definitely broken too and he hadn't checked her legs yet. Ymir had just collapsed once she'd shrunk. He'd stuffed her in the cellar. At least the stench wouldn't be so bad. And he was busy trying to reset Mikasa's ribs. He had a book that had instructions for this, but no medical training. He'd put her ribs back into place as best he could, but he couldn't be sure until she saw a real doctor. The ice he had put on her chest seemed to be helping. He knew that would help the swelling to go down. Mikasa had apparently popped out her knee as well. Jean reset that and along with putting her arms in makeshift casts. Ice was really becoming his new best friend. Finally, once he was done, he collapsed into a chair by the table.

"Geez Mikasa, what the heck did you do?" He shook his head. It was so hard to believe that Mikasa Ackermann, the unbeatable Titan killing prodigy was lying on the table in front of him with most her body broken or dislocated. Somehow, her spine had escaped without any major damage. Bruised, it most certainly was, but not broken. He couldn't leave, and he didn't want to stay. Looking out the window, he noticed the sun was coming up. Ymir and Mikasa had come in around dinner time. He hadn't slept in long time. Groaning, he got up and went to the cellar. He'd given Ymir some food, water, a warm fire, and a warm bed. He'd locked her down here, because he had no idea what happened and he didn't trust her. She was laying on her bed, literally steaming. Jean pulled up a chair.

"What happened?" Ymir had no response. A vein popped on Jean's forehead. He hadn't slept in twenty-four hours, and no titan shifter smarty-pants was going to give him the cold shoulder.

"Ymir-"

"I don't know." She murmured.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes. Eren lost his memory of several events during his time as a titan."

"I don't. What happened?"

"I can't tell you. It's jumbled." She deadpanned. Jean growled and ran his hands through his hair. The chair screeched as he pushed it back. Ymir listened to his retreating footsteps.

Sasha hadn't slept the night before. She and Connie had gotten to sleep at the Garrison and they got fresh clothes, but she couldn't shake the knot in her stomach.

_Is Ymir really evil? _

The question was still burning in her mind. She had Ymir had fought at Trost and in the Recons. Then Ymir just went berserk and killed Hanji. Sasha's hands gripped the railing in front of her. her mind was far afield from the Garrison. Mikasa's whereabouts were also in her mind swirling around with all her other questions. Like who was the shifter Rico and her team had pulled out of the Colossal Titan. Rico had it really hushed up. And then some weird guys in suits showed up. Rico was in a hurry to get away from them. Sasha saw no reason for it. Somebody muttered "Central Police" and everybody was suddenly on edge. Sasha didn't know why a fat man in a suit was supposed to be scary. Nonetheless, they seemed pretty put out that they'd missed Rico. Krista had come into the Garrison pretty late that night. Rico had pulled her aside the morning after. Krista ended up crying, nodding, and following Rico. Sasha wondered what happened. She was still staring out at the city when Connie woke up.

"Morning, Sasha." He yawned.

"Yeah." She deadpanned. Connie gave her a hard look. Sasha was the morning person, not him.

"Have they served breakfast yet?"

"Yeah." Her eyes never left the gray dawn.

"What did they serve?"

"I don't know. I wasn't there." Connie's eyes went as big as saucers.

**_SASHA _**_skipped an opportunity for__** FOOD?! **__What is this madness? _Connie could recognize when his friend was off, but this was a whole different story. Food was Sasha's LIFE.

"So, uh, you wanna go get, err some?" Connie stuttered.

"No." Sasha kept staring out over the town. She was quiet, disturbingly so. Connie backed away with more caution than if Sasha was Annie in her titan form. Backing around the corner, he turned and bolted for the stairs. He ran through the line, grabbed a hunk of bread and then out to the stables. He was there before he realized he had no purpose of being.

_Hanji, got to talk to Hanji about…_

He remembered. Connie slid down the wall and chewed his bread. Hanji had been a constant for too long. It was hitting Sasha harder than he would have thought. He was still waiting for it to settle in. maybe he'd been through too many struggles. He ripped out his last mouthful. _Or am I becoming like Commander Levi…. _He knew how everyone said the Commander was a heartless monster who didn't care about his men. Maybe it was true. He hadn't seen Sasha's shut down coming. Even when they were surrounded by titans in the forest, she'd still kept it together. Even at Trost. She was the first one to start laughing after they'd almost died in the forest. _Maybe she's just tired…_ Connie thought. They still needed to get back to Levi. They'd either help in searching the ruins of Trost or head back to base. Connie got up. Sasha needed to get down here anyway. He went back up the stairs. Sasha was already walking down.

"Hey, Sasha."

"Hi, Connie." She walked past him. Connie took a deep breath. Getting ignored by your best friend is never pleasant.

"So, uh, I think-"

"Connie." Sasha deadpanned. "We need to head back to base."

"But what about Commander Levi? Or Mikasa?" Connie protested. Sasha's face never left its blank stare.

"A wounded animal will always return to its den." Connie realized she was talking about Ymir. He also noticed the slight amount of emotion that crossed her face. _No… _Connie still knew it was true.

Sasha wanted revenge.

**Author's Note:**

**Yes, Mikasa survived….. somehow. Among other news, I'm almost a week late. And still only churning out a small chapter. You all have my sincere apologies. I will be working on a longer one for Sunday. **

**QOC: What do you think is happening at the beginning of the chapter? (The dialogue has nothing to do with Jean) **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

Levi hated bureaucrats. They were always trying to one-up in some petty matter rather than focusing on what was best for the city. He'd ended up zoning out. But there was one tidbit they were squabbling about that caught his attention.

"You say they want to be one their _own_? Are you quite sure of this, Fuchs?" Vītols, a bony man with a mousy face and dull blond hair, not to mention his deeply-etched frown.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. What's far more interesting is their _apparent_ support throughout the populace." Fuchs, a pompous fat man chuckled as he inhaled the smoke from his cigar.

"Why are you laughing?" A haughty woman raised one eyebrow menacingly. "This sounds more like a serious matter to me. Or," she paused, glaring at the two men, "You are simply gossiping." Her voice seemed to raise an octave at the word gossip.

"Oh no, my dear Lady Hämäläinen, that wouldn't do at all." Fuchs laughed. Lady Hämäläinen seemed only to grow more frustrated. Levi was thoroughly amused by all this. These people had come for a meeting about Trost and other bureaucratic business, but Lady Hämäläinen seemed the only one to get down to business.

"Well then, what _is _the situation of this Trost insurgency?" Her voice rose another octave. Fuchs paused, his cigar hovering above his lips.

"And why should you care about what goes on in my district? You have enough problems cleaning up Stohess." _Ah, so she's in charge of Stohess…. Poor woman. _Levi thought. Cleaning up a mess like Stohess after Annie's rampage would have been difficult at best. _Especially if the likes of __**these **__are one's coworkers. _

"What is going on in Trost?" Levi asked. The table fell silent. He was only there to give a report anyway. Lady Hämäläinen raised her eyebrow.

"Commander Rivaille, there have been reports of a rebellion by the citizens of Trost." Fuchs said. Lady Hämäläinen looked irritated that Levi had gotten an explanation faster that she had. But her expression quickly changed to a much more despairing one. She slumped in her seat, her forehead in her hands. Another man there, Lysenko, raised the question.

"Um, Lady Hämäläinen, is anything the matter?" She raised her head and stared Fuchs directly in the eyes.

"Who are their allies?" Her tone brooked no argument. Lady Hämäläinen was getting an answer, whether Fuchs liked it or not.

"None that we know of. Although, I would bet that they'd want our protection after the last attack. So rebellion: solved!" He chuckled.

"No." Levi stated. Everyone looked at him. "They are more likely now that this has happened."

"What do you mean?" A young woman cried. She had introduced herself as the newly appointed governor of Karenese.

"Calm down, Wiśniewski." Vītols snapped. The woman took a deep breath.

"Commander Levi, why do you believe the citizens of Trost will be more…" She paused. "_inclined_ to start an insurgency now?" Levi could the desperation in her grey eyes.

"Why are they revolting in the first place? My guess is that they do not believe the monarchy is capable of protecting them. I would agree on that front. They believe they can better themselves on their own." He stated.

"But… they have no farmland. Two-thirds of Trost is gone already!" Lysenko cried, running his hands through his red hair.

"That would only serve them better. My fellow commander discovered that 75% of the populace have migrated to other districts. Most of the homes destroyed would have been empty anyway. They would merely need to clear the rubble and start fresh."

There was a silence that last nearly five minutes.

"How would you know all this," Lady Hämäläinen challenged, "Without being a part of their group?" All eyes turned to Levi. Hämäläinen's green eyes were particularly intense.

"I don't know. I'm conjecturing at this point. But, I know that my partner's information is impeccable." He stated.

"Oh? And just who is this _partner _of yours?" She asked, pushing her blond hair behind her ear.

"Mikasa Ackermann."

"I see…" Lady Hämäläinen paused, "But we should really determine what it is they really want."

"Trost was primarily industrial." Fuchs said, putting out his cigar in the ashtray. "They have the tools to rebuild. I would doubt they'd try to turn it to farmland. They'd be better off trading with us."

"Don't act as if they've already seceded!" Lysenko exclaimed.,

"But we still don't know if they're planning something with another district." Another man piped up.

"That's true. But it's highly probable they have allies in Stohess." Lady Hämäläinen stated.

"And why do you say that, Lady Hämäläinen?" Wisniewski whispered.

"Because there is already a rebellion in Stohess."

_Oh snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. Think of a plan. SnapSnapSnap._

Connie was trying to think of some way to stop Sasha. He'd never seen her this down. Even after Trost, she wasn't as bad as the rest. It looked like Hanji's death was the final straw. Sasha needed an outlet for her grief and it turned out Ymir was a prime target. It made sense to Connie. Ymir was a titan shifter and titans were responsible many of their friend's deaths at Trost and on Erwin's attempt on Shiganshina. In fact, Annie was a titan shifter and she was certainly responsible. No, Sasha was not seeing sense. She was simply seeking an outlet.

Connie sighed. Sasha still wasn't talking. Maybe Jean could make her see sense. He started to brighten._ Yeah, Jean lost Marco after all….. he'll have some good advice for Sasha!_ Connie was starting to feel hopeful again, just as he heard the rampaging footsteps of a titan.

"Sasha!"

Jean was exhausted. He hadn't slept in over 24 hours. Mikasa was stable, but she still hadn't woken. It was nearing suppertime. Mikasa was in bed. Jean stayed around to make sure she was warm enough. Autumn was ending soon and then they'd have enough snow for her ribs and other bones. She was the same as ever, the blank expression on her face never leaving. Jean was more worried about him not doing a good enough job and Levi cutting him to ribbons as a result. He shuddered at the thought.

Mikasa groaned. Everything hurt. Her chest, her arm, her legs. Man, was life always this painful? She opened her eyes to see Jean staring off into the distance, apparently lost in thought. She could see the dark circles under his eyes.

"Jean?' She whispered. He jolted.

"AH! Mikasa! Oh, right, you're awake!" He exclaimed. She winced. It was hurting her ears.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Know anything you need?" He said, trying to be helpful.

"Something to dull the pain." She winced.

"Painkillers? Oh, r-i-i-ight. We, uh, don't have any." He stuttered. Mikasa opened one eye and glared at him.

"But I can go find some!" Jean tripped over his own chair. Once out of the room, Jean leaned against the wall. His relief at Mikasa's awakening making him look like a moron. He scrambled over to the medicine chest. He sifted through it and found none. Jean had looked before, but he still hadn't found any. He leaned his head against the wall, frustrated. Jean's head whipped up as he had an idea. He dashed for the pantry and hastily looked through the contents.

Tea.

He found one labeled to relieve pain. _Well, it's not painkillers, but it's darn better than nothing. _He heated it up and brought it to Mikasa. She drank and thanked him. And then fell asleep. Jean collapsed into the chair by her bed. And promptly fell asleep.

The door opened. A young man and woman stepped inside.

"Good evening." An old man's voice greeted the newcomers.

"Good evening."

Chairs screeched against the stone floor.

"Well then," The old man began "Let us begin."

A middle aged man stood and spread a map out on the table.

"This is where we were. The titan attack on our home may prove to be in our favor." He cleared his throat. "However, the Shinites have yet to deliver the supplies." He growled.

"Lady Hämäläinen is the governor of Stohess, their headquarters. I hear she's ruthless on the hunt." A woman interjected. There were murmurs of agreement around the table.

"But what of the king? Or the church?" The young man said. "I'm with the Military Police as you all know, but they've been particularly quiet lately. Especially after the Stohess incident. Do we have any information on them?"

"No, I'm afraid we don't. They're a tight sect." the old man sighed.

"Then we should find out more." Another man said. Several heads nodded. He turned to them.

"Marlo, Hitch, find out everything you can about them and what they're planning next."

The two nodded.

**Author's Note: **

**Due to the fact that I have been late in updating numerous times, I am now starting a buffer. **

**Question of the Chapter:**

**What do you think of the bureaucrats at the beginning of the chapter?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

Lady Elise Hämäläinen was known for a variety of accomplishments. She'd singlehandedly made the living conditions of Stohess better than any other district in Wall Shina. She'd stopped multiple insurgencies within and without her district and had forced the Military Police in her district to do their job. And then a titan had decided to rampage it and all she'd done for the public was forgotten. The inhabitants of Wall Shina had tried this rebellion song and dance before and she was not going to give Stohess to them. But over the years, their case had been building. Crime rates were at an all time high, civilians never strayed outside after 6:00 in the evening. Gangs were everywhere. Vandalism was something everyone was used to. She bitterly chuckled at the illusion the inhabitants of Wall Rose thought life inside Shina was. At least they had food, even it was stolen by child robber gangs half the time.

But Elise Hämäläinen had vowed to the public of Stohess, once the most corrupt and crime ridden district to change that. Her district was the best in all of humanity's territory. Its crime rates were almost nonexistent. Its police force was rigid. The local economy flourished. It had been a rough road to get here. Elise had worked for decades to bring peace and safety to at least one place. That had been her ambition since her teenage years. To make at least one place safe, one place where people could live without constant fear. And that was why she was so afraid of rebellion. If the people had strong enough numbers, they would destroy her entire life's work.

Elise set down her pen. Out of all the rebellions she'd been asked to end, one key component the rebels had never had was Stohess. Stohess was important for its military strength. Her police kept the crime down, but that meant the best weapons that could be found. Once found, albeit through not-so-noble or even legal means, she ordered her craftsmen to make identical copies and once done, to make even better weapons. Yes, the weapons industry was the heart of Stohess' local economy. Only, no one outside of Stohess ever their hands on her men or weapons.

Elise began to pace around her office. This was the greatest flaw in every other rebellion that had been attempted. Her forces were better armed and trained than the rebels and so they crushed them. But, if Stohess rebelled, they would have access to her weaponry. What would be even worse would be if her soldiers mutinied on her and joined the rebels. No, it wouldn't just be bad, it would be the end of the government as it was.

Elise slumped into her chair, her head in her hands. Now there were even reports of rebel groups in the outlying districts. From what she'd heard of the conditions, Elise was considering lending them some manpower to help them. After all, the outlying districts could actually better themselves and they wouldn't affect Stohess. Trost wasn't the only district on the verge of rebellion.

_The meeting had lasted forever, it seemed. Elise was more than ready to go home and take a bath. Of course, the usual pleasantries had to be exchanged. Elise couldn't wait. _

_"Lady Hämäläinen!" Elise turned to see who was calling her. Wiśniewskicalled and ran up to her. They were outside the meeting building. _

_"Yes?" Elise asked. Wisniewski was nervous._

_"Lady Hämäläinen?" She said. Elise raised her eyebrows. "What do you do to stop a potential rebellion?!" She cried. _

_"Crush them, Wisniewski. Destroy them with your men. Annihilate them so they will never attempt it again." Elise stated emphatically. Without another word, she climbed into her carriage and drove away. _

Elise heaved a deep breath. The implications of Wisniewski's request were clear. Karenese was on the verge of uprising, along with Trost and Stohess. If they were rebelling, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that Hermana would too. Especially after the influx of people from the recent titan scare. Commander Rivaille's point stood. If the people distrusted the government to protect them, why not rebel? Especially if the titans could get in anyway. After all, from their perspective, how much worse could it be?

_What if they're right? What if the system is too corrupt? _

The two questions burned in Elise's mind for the remainder of the night. By dawn, her decision was made.

Connie launched from his saddle, shooting his cables into the titan's side, pulling it taut. Sasha had followed suit. Connie pulled one of his trademark sharp turns, aiming for the nape. He pulled as hard as he could, aiming straight and sure.

The titan's hand swept up and ripped Connie's cables out, sending him plummeting to the ground. Sasha had been behind him.

"CONNIE!"

She lost her focus and balance. Her cables lost their tension, and she began to fall. Sasha panicked and pulled hard again, swinging low to ground, her feet almost brushing it as she adjusted her straps to move faster, her hair whipping in her face. She released and reattached them to the titan's shoulder, swinging in for the neck.

The titan twisted around and slammed her cables, forcing her down. Sasha screamed as she shot her cables onto a nearby house, colliding with the roof, smashing through the rotten wood. She could hear the titan approaching. Everything hurt and her vision blurred.

She braced for the titan attack, for the roof to come crashing down.

It never came.

Slowly, and not without a lot of pain, Sasha rose to her feet. The door had all but rotted away and she stepped through easily. The stench of the titan corpse filled her nose. She gagged, trying to get rid of the awful smell.

_Connie…._

Her eyes widened and Sasha broke into a run.

"Connie! Connie! If you can hear me do something, say something!" She screamed.

"No need to panic, Braus."

Sasha turned. Levi had Connie draped over his back, unconscious. Sasha's eyes filled with tears. Levi whistled. Three horses trotted to them after a minute. Connie was groggy, but conscious. The ride to headquarters was uneventful.

Once they were there, the real drama started.

"Really, Marlo? Breaking into a church? That's kind of low." Hitch whispered.

"Shhh. You'll blow our cover." Marlo hissed.

"Yeah right, we removed a windowpane. And we're climbing in by rope…. For what?" Hitch growled.

"For Intel." Hitch rolled her eyes.

"Stop using fancy code words no one but you know."

"We're looking for what the Wallists are up to."

"Fine. But why like this?"

"How else? You never came up with a plan." Marlo snapped. They reached the bottom and unhooked from their lines.

"You just dragged me out of bed and said it was urgent."

"Well, you should ask more questions. And what would you have done?" Marlo whispered as he picked the lock to the church's office door.

"My dad is on their head council." Marlo stopped what he was doing and stared at her. "We want info? I'll sneak into his office and look for whatever information they want."

Marlo leaned his head against the door.

"You idiot. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because. I thought you already had a _reasonable _plan. This," She gestured around the moonlit church. "Is not reasonable." Marlo got up.

"Fine, we'll get out of here, clean up. And then you will produce results. Or we're back in here." Marlo threatened.

"Great. Let's get out of here."

Hitch turned to the window they'd climbed through. A hand reached across her face, covered with a sweet smelling cloth. The silver moonlight faded to inky darkness.

**Author's Note:**

**Yay, I made it on time. A bi round of applause for those who reviewed. I personally responded to all of you, I think. The plot is thickening. **

**Question of the Chapter:**

**How do you think Levi is going to react when Mikasa is discovered?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Marlo and Hitch were both terrified. They were on their knees, with thick bags over their head, bound hand and foot. Both had fogged minds from being drugged. Faintly, they heard a door open and clicking sound of a gentlewoman's heels. The bags ripped from their heads. Hitch's eyes watered at the sudden daylight that streamed from the tall glass windows. She blinked and looked around. They were in what looked like a huge corridor. It had a high ceiling, and was made of stone. In front of them was a woman, with sharp green eyes and graying blond hair. Hitch immediately knew who she was.

"Lady Hämäläinen? Um, there must be some mistake…" Hitch trailed off nervously. Stohess Police were on either side of them and Lady Hämäläinen's chair. If they tried to make a move, her soldiers would pulverize them.

"What were you doing breaking into a church last night?" Lady Hämäläinen cut straight to the chase. Marlo and Hitch didn't say anything. There was no story this time.

"I see." She said. "Steiner, put them in chairs." She motioned to one of the men at her side. He walked past them. Marlo and Hitch heard the chairs hit the stone behind them. Hitch felt the guards untie her hands before roughly pushing her into her seat. Her arms were secured tied to the chair as well, reducing her physical capabilities even further. Her feet were soon to follow. Lady Hämäläinen watched without emotion.

"So, are you still convinced to be silent?" She asked. They nodded. Her eyes narrowed.

"Then we will force your silence from you." She said. Lady Hämäläinen rose, and a uniformed woman walked through the door. She whispered something to the Lady, and left. Lady Hämäläinen gave them a long stare.

"Just how loyal are you to the Trost insurgents?" She asked. Hitch's eyes widened.

"Um, we don't-" She began. A heavy fist slammed into her cheek, drawing blood from her nose. Lady Hämäläinen's gaze sharpened and intensified.

"Don't lie to me, Hitch. I've known you too long for that." Hitch gritted her teeth. It was true.

"I'm not-" A knee collided with her stomach. Hitch gasped for breath. Marlo kept his eyes at the floor., trying to ignore his partner's suffering. Lady Hämäläinen's gaze drifted to Marlo. _Hmmm…._

"And how about you? How loyal are you to the Trost rebels?" Marlo refused to look at her and kept his eyes to the stone tiles at his feet. Lady Hämäläinen slipped her cold hand under his chin and forced his eyes to meet hers.

"As I said, how loyal are you?" she murmured. Marlo had never been more terrified of a woman in his life.

"I'm not sure- agh!" Lady Hämäläinen's finger nails had been manicured into points since it was in style. She dug them into Marlo's cheeks, pushing deeper until she drew blood and then pressed some more. Hitch couldn't keep the tears off her face. But she knew this woman, and she knew this was only the smallest of beginnings.

"Who are the insurgents, boy?" She asked, releasing her fingers.

"Citizens." He said. Hitch stared at him. Then she understood. The term 'citizens' described the entire population of the city.

"Oh? Care to name a few? Or perhaps the location of their allies?" she asked.

Elise was growing frustrated with this interrogation. She had initially been pleased they had been so young. If she played the intimidation factor high enough, they might just give in. She hadn't been expecting the daughter of her closest friend. But she'd steeled herself to it. The good of the city outweighed her personal issues. It was still hard. She was far more willing to try Hitch's friend. But this was never pleasant, no matter who it was. Interrogations were simply an occasional necessary option she was forced to take every now and then. Since force and intimidation wasn't working, Elise changed tactics.

"Hitch, I wonder what your parents or superior officers would do if I showed them your affiliations and recent vandalism?"

Hitch chewed on her lower lip. She knew her father would disown her from the family. The Trost rebels opposed the Wallists. If she was a part of that, her father would disown her, permanently. Her superiors would care, probably. Lady Hämäläinen probably had friends in high places.

"Why do you care about a rebellion in Trost?' Marlo raised the question.

"Because they are possibly with some of my people. I can't allow that." Lady Hämäläinen answered. Hitch and Marlo were both surprised at her ready giving of information.

"If so, I would want to hear why." She further expounded. Suddenly, everything was clear to Hitch. Lady Hämäläinen wanted to know why because she couldn't see why.

"Let us go and we'll take you to the next meeting, with some conditions." Hitch said.

"I accept."

Annie was lonely, bored, and uncomfortable. Staring at the low stone ceiling was getting pretty old. Not to mention the constant discomfort of being bound by an overkill amount of metal. She wished Reiner would give her something new to chew on. He was always bringing her new information. She chuckled. Annie would never forget the panic in his eyes. It was there, if only for a brief second. But it was lonely here with only her thoughts.

Annie heard the metal door swing open and hit the stone wall. Her eyes widened with surprise.

"Commander Erwin?" She gasped.

Jean was making himself and Mikasa breakfast. Cooking was still his arch nemesis. He had no idea how people were able to just cook. He'd had Sasha's cooking and it was amazing. Mikasa's was okay, but still good. Krista's could match Sasha for tastiness but outdid everyone for fanciness and delicacy. But he couldn't cook well to save his life. He hit the pot in frustration with the spoon. And then he heard it.

Hooves.

He almost cried with joy. Finally, someone with any sanity at all was here! He rushed to open the door. Levi, Sasha and an injured Connie were riding past him, into the stable. His heart sank. Where was Krista? And would he have to tend Connie **and** Mikasa? His questions were soon to be answered. Levi and the others didn't spend long in the stables.

"Commander!" Jean greeted.

"Kirchstein." Levi deadpanned. He began to unpack his gear on the table. Sasha helped Connie to his room, after grabbing the medical kit.

"Um, Commander Levi?"

"Yes?"

"What took you so long? Mikasa, I mean Commander Ackermann needs a doctor! And why did you send her with Ymir of all people?! I thought she was in Trost for medical care!" Jean cried.

Levi's hands froze above his pack. His widened to an almost impossible size. He cleared his throat and looked Jean straight in the eye. Jean took a step back.

"Kirchstein, are you saying that Commander Ackermann is currently alive?"

"…Yes." Jean mumbled. "Ipromiseshe'snothurtsoyoudon'thavetokillme!" Jean spat out. Levi glared.

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs."

"Thank you."

Levi walked away and Jean realized a phenomenon had just taken place: Levi had thanked someone.

Levi walked up the stairs and saw Mikasa's door open. He walked in and shut the door. It was getting chilly. Mikasa was asleep. Levi took the seat by her bed. After all, this wasn't the first time he'd to wait for her to wake up. It also wasn't the first time he'd heard that a supposedly dead comrade of his was alive.

But this time, he more glad to hear it than any of the others.

Rico was exhausted. It was late, and she was still filling out paperwork in her office. She took off her glasses and cleaned them. _Blast Pixis and his need for documentation…._

Rico could still smell the fresh paint in her office. Everything was new and most of the bookshelves were bare. After all, books were a rare commodity that she couldn't afford. At any rate, she was going to die by paperwork if this much was required. _I should get an assistant… _

She stretched and knocked over some papers. Rico scooped them up and almost put them back on her desk. A letter had been under them. Rico had already read it. It was from Hanji. Rico sighed and picked it u again. It was basically Hanji saying good-bye. And a request. Hanji had asked Rico to finish her work and solve the mystery of the Titans. Rico was still reeling from Hanji's death. They had been friends for years. Rico had firsthand witnessed Hanji's change from hating the titans to almost loving them. It had been a peculiar journey, but one that had brought them closer together. Rico's train of nostalgia was broken, though.

Rico heard someone running up the hall. She straightened herself and the door burst open. Her vice-captain ran in, blood dripping from a wound on his shoulder. Rico stood up and hurried over to him. She pulled over onto one of her chairs and grabbed a medical kit from her desk.

"Jurić! What happened?!" Rico cried. She soon realized the wound in his shoulder was worse than it appeared. He had been shot and Rico could only hope the bullet hadn't hit an artery.

"Captain, Annie," He was breathing heavily and his face was abnormally pale. Rico realized he was going to pass out from blood loss.

"What about Annie? You Leonhart?" Rico cried. She was bandaging his arm as best she could, but the blood kept coming.

"Y-yes. She's escaped."

The blood drained from Rico's face as she dropped the roll of bandages.

_No…. _

Rico trembled as she hastily put on her gear. Once done she jumped out her window, using her 3DMG to swing through the suburban, house-lined streets. She made for where the general chaos was….. except.

There was none.

All the streets were empty and no sound was in the air except for the sounds of a few bars. Rico flew to the prison. There, the damage was present. All the guards were dead. But they were all killed from bullet wounds. Rico was puzzled, but she had more pressing things to worry about.

_Who was the attacker?_

_Who helped her escape?_

_Who even has clearance to _be _here? _

_How did they get Leonhart out of those straps? _

Questions swirled around Rico's mind. She wanted to scream. Here she was, surrounded by dead bodies, and not a single alarm had gone off, and this was Stohess! The most secure and stable district. The prison had already been there, anyway. Where was everyone?

Rico quickly began to search for clues to lead her to Annie and her accomplice. She found a dead man in one of the streets and took off in that direction.

Wherever Annie was, she was not getting away tonight.

And tonight was looking to be a very long night indeed.

Levi ended up waiting almost six hours for Mikasa to wake up. He almost thought she was in a coma. Jean allayed his fears by telling him that she had woken before. When she finally did, he couldn't have been more relieved.

"Levi?"

"Yes. Are you hungry, Mikasa?" He said, standing up. Mikasa's mind was a bit foggy from sleep.

"Yeah, thanks."

Levi got her some soup and helped prop her up so she could eat it with her un-broken arm. It was bruised, but not broken.

"Is everyone alive?" Mikasa asked between bites.

"Yeah, everyone's back, except Krista. She was invited to Rico's squad." Levi deadpanned.

"Oh. Did you find out who was inside the Colossal Titan?"

"Yes. Reiner Braun."

"He was a friend of Annie's, wasn't he?"

"Apparently so."

"What else has happened?" Mikasa asked.

"There are multiple insurgencies happening." Levi stated. Mikasa dropped her spoon.

"Insurgencies? Now?" She asked.

"Not openly, but apparently there are multiple rebel groups conspiring to overthrow the government. Even Stohess has one."

"That will make things difficult."

"Yes, but we can't do anything about it. Although we do need to find a replacement for Hanji." Levi deadpanned.

"Did Hanji join Rico's squad too?" Mikasa asked casually. Levi realized she must no know or forgot.

"Hanji died." He stated. Mikasa's spoon stopped halfway between her bowl and mouth.

"…. Reiner?" She asked. Levi shook his head.

"Ymir." He said, trying to gauge her reaction. Mikasa was a master of hiding what was going on in head.

"We should do some more recruiting." She stated, returning to her soup. Levi eyed her skeptically.

"I will, you won't. At least not until you're well." He ordered. Mikasa had a pert retort on her lips when the door burst open.

"Krista?" Mikasa asked. Krista was panting, sweating and bleeding.

"Annie –_ gasp _– escaped." She breathed out before collapsing onto the floor.

"Braus! Kirchstein! Get in here!" He yelled, helping Krista up. Sasha came running up the stairs.

"Commander-! Oh." Sasha realized as she stepped through the door.

They both carried Krista into another room. Sasha did a damage assessment. Krista had been shot in her leg, breaking one of the bones. She'd lost a lot of blood. Sasha bandaged her up as best she could and tried to wake her. Krista opened her eyes groggily.

"Commander!" Sasha called. Levi came in.

"Lenz, report." He barked.

"Annie Leonhart has escaped." Krista croaked. Levi nodded.

"Any accomplices?" He questioned. Krista looked conflicted.

"Former Commander Erwin." She gasped before slipping back into unconsciousness. Levi collapsed into a chair.

_Something is wrong….._

Rico reloaded her pistol as she knelt behind the crate. The air was full of smoke and the smell of gunpowder. She and Krista had overtaken the wagon transporting Leonhart. Krista had been shot right. Rico had ordered her to tell Levi. But even Rico was second-guessing herself on that one. If Erwin of all people was capable of committing this type of treason, who was to say Levi wasn't either? Or that they were working together? But now here she was, in the middle of gunfight. In a clothes shop section somewhere in Sina. All the buildings had huge glass windows. Most were shattered. At least they weren't burning like a shop on the last street they'd fought on. Yet.

Rico watched for movement. She saw the shadow of someone and fired. A cry of pain made her grimly aware of her hit.

_Time to move…_

Rico dashed across the shopping street as several guns went off from her enemies.

_Seriously, how many men are still loyal to Erwin, let alone this loyal?_

Rico ducked into a store and fired again, this time able to see her targets. She missed and fired again. Another miss. Her opponents had regrouped as well. The glass shop window shattered as bullets flew through. Rico grunted as one pierced her knee.

She knelt behind one of the counters and ripped down a dress from one of the mannequins, wrapping her knee. Rico heard footsteps crunching on the broken glass. Carefully, painfully moved to the other side of the counter and peered around.

Erwin.

His back was to her. she rose and took a step. Rico aimed. Erwin turned.

"Hands up." Rico said. Erwin was unresponsive.

A cold gun barrel pressed to her neck. Rico froze.

"Drop the gun." Rico complied. He her gun rattled against the floor.

"Really? Thugs?" She said, staring at Erwin. He said nothing. Erwin raised his pistol and fired. Rico hit the floor.

_Looks like I won't solve the mystery of the Titans after all, Hanji….._

**Author's Note:**

**Oooh! You guys are getting spoiled. I decided to publish early. Although the Sunday chapter will probably be shorter as a consequence. Anyway, thoughts? Oh well, here's the Question of the Chapter:**

**What do you think of Lady Hamalainen? **


End file.
